Camp Kyoshi
by ohmyyyfanfiction
Summary: When a certain old friend shows up as a counselor, Zuko's boring summer job gets interesting. Her name is Katara. Zutara in the end (of course). Rated M for language and some mature situations. Modern Day Summer Camp AU.
1. Chapter 1

**a/n Welcome to my second Zutara fanfict (and my first AU AtLA ff)! I've been thinking about writing this story for a month, but have been having trouble finding the time. That being said, I'm not sure what my update schedule will look like. I can try for weekly, but I may have to change it to bi-weekly. Either way, I hope you enjoy it!**

 **I want to note that I did adjust the characters' ages.  
** **Disclaimer: If I owned AtLA it would have ended in Zutara.**

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~Chapter 1~

 **-Zuko-**

"Mom, seriously?" Zuko asked with a groan.  
"Yes, Zuko," she replied matter-of-factly, "We had a deal and you know your uncle could use the help."  
"But Azula's not going," he reasoned, he was 17 so he didn't whine (despite what Azula said).  
"That's because your sister already has a job, you on the other hand…" He groaned. Why did he ever make that stupid deal? When she gave him a stern look, all possibilities of talking her out of it disappeared.  
"Fine. Whatever. I'll do it," he agreed, accepting his fate.  
"Now, don't be like that," she said frowning, "You sound just like that girl when you act like that."  
"'That girl?'" he spat, "Her name is Mai, Mom. And now I'm going to have to call her to tell her that you're making me waste my summer at Uncle's camp."  
"Come on Zuko," his mom tried to persuade sweetly, "You used to love being up there." It was true, but he'd be dammed to admit it now.  
"I also used to love firetrucks and cowboys, but things have changed."  
"Well your Uncle hasn't. This might be your last opportunity to work there since this fall you'll start your senior year and next summer you'll be so busy…"  
"Yeah, okay Mom. I already said I'd do it." When she didn't say anything else, he took the opportunity to leave, "I need to go call Mai," he grumbled and turned to go to his room.

He dreaded calling her, but it was the right thing to do. He pulled out his cell phone, found her contact, and hit call. _Don't pick up,_ he prayed _Please don't pick up_.  
"Hi Zuko," Mai answered in her usual drawl and his heart fell. He sighed and could only hope she'd take it okay.

Mai was impassive about most things, except when it came to something he did wrong. In some weird way, it used to make him feel special, to be the one person she chose to care enough about to react to. His mother saw things differently. She never liked Mai and tried to convince him that he was in an abusive relationship, which was absurd. Zuko had seen what an abusive relationship was like and he knew this wasn't it.  
"Hey Mai," he replied, "So…uh… You remember that deal I made with my mom?"  
"To find a job before the end of the month? Yeah, what about it?"  
"Well the month's almost over and I still don't have a job…" he waited, hoping he wouldn't have to spell it out. The silence on the other side told him just to say it, "I have to work at my Uncle's summer camp now." He blurted and then waited for the explosion. He was not disappointed.  
"What?! She can't do that! That's so fucking unfair! I thought we had plans! This was supposed to be our summer! We have tickets to see Secret Tunnel in concert!"  
"I know, I know," he said wearily, "I'm really sorry."  
"That's it? You're 'sorry?'" she hurled the words at him like knives and he winced.  
"What else do you want me to say?" he asked.  
"I don't know Zuko! God! Maybe you can tell me why you never even tried to get a stupid job so none of this would happen?" The blood started to boil in his veins.  
"Maybe if I had been looking for a job instead of chauffeuring you around all month…"  
"So this is suddenly all _my_ fault?!" He had to hold the phone away a little because she was so loud.  
"I don't know, maybe!" he yelled back. The other end of the phone went deceptively quiet. _Uh-oh._ The blood that had previously been near boiling suddenly froze.  
"Well Zuko, if that's how it's going to be." Her voice had immediately switched to emotionless, "I was planning on waiting until after the concert, but you leave me no choice." He could sense what was coming, but that didn't make the pain any better. "We're done Zuko. Whatever we are or were is over." He opened his mouth to reply, to apologize, when the line went dead.  
"Shit," he muttered under his breath before flopping down on his bed.

 **-Katara-**

"What the f-" she started to cry.  
"Language." Her father interrupted sternly, as if cussing were the least of their worries.  
"Are you kidding me Dad?" she asked harshly, "Really? You are seriously doing this again?"  
"I'm sorry Katara, but-"  
"No Dad. There is no excuse for you leaving _again_!" Didn't he see how fucked up it was? Just when she thought things were going good at home. "You didn't have to reenlist. You already put in your time. You could have been done and stay home. But here you are, running off on us again." Her dad took a deep calming breath that only made her madder. She wanted an argument. She wanted to talk him out of it, to convince him to stay.  
"Listen Katara," he said calmly, "I know you don't like this, and I _am_ sorry, but I don't have to justify my actions to you or your brother." She opened her mouth but he shook his head, continuing, "Also, I think you should go work at that summer camp with Sokka." She scoffed before realizing he was serious. His words weren't a suggestion, but an order. She realized no amount of yelling would change his mind. She groaned loudly in defeat.  
"Fine. Whatever Dad." She said, surrendering. She wanted to fight him more, but there was no point. It was too late. If he already reenlisted and was already being sent away, there was nothing she could do but accept it (even if she didn't fucking like it). "Do you know when you're leaving?" she asked. His gaze fell from hers, his expression turning sheepish. "Dad," she repeated, her voice louder, "when do you leave?"  
"Tomorrow morning."  
"What?! How could you?!" the tears slipped down her cheeks. "How long have you known?" she demanded.  
"A while now," he admitted, "I knew you'd be upset so…I…"  
"So you lied. When you first came home, I asked you if you were done and you said yes. You lied to me because you are a coward. You can't stand to be home with us and surrounded by reminders of her so you get on your boat and sail away. Well Dad, that's a pretty shitty thing for you to do to us."  
"I know and I'm so sorry Katara." he paused and when she didn't immediately say anything he quickly added, "I really think working at the summer camp will be good for you."  
"Why?" she spat, "So we don't have to hang around here and be constantly reminded of her and you? Whatever. It doesn't matter," she said as she turned to go to her room. "Have a nice life." With that, she closed the door, locking it behind her. She leaned against the door and slid to the ground. Only then did she let the tears flow freely until they became silent sobs. _He's leaving. He's leaving. He's leaving._ She thought as she rocked back and forth.

It was barely light when she woke to a soft knock. She was still sitting on the ground.  
"Katara?" her father's voice was muffled by the door. She froze. There was another knock. "Katara? Are you there?" She remained frozen. "I love you," he said softly before the floor creaked and he walked away. She waited, listening. His footsteps grew softer and then she heard the front door open and close. A fresh tear streaked down her face as she got up and crawled into bed. Under the covers, she curled into a tight ball. _Goodbye,_ she thought sadly.

Horrible trumpeting blasted through the house and she bolted out of bed.  
"Ahh!" she cried and covered her ears with her hands. "SOKKA!" Just as she went to open her door, the noise suddenly stopped.  
"Better get used to it Katara," her brother hollered, "That's how they wake us up at camp."  
"Ugh!" she groaned and flopped back down on her bed.  
"Uh-uh, dearest sister," he chastised, "don't even think about going back to sleep or I'll come in with a bucket of ice water."  
"The door's locked genius," she grumbled, her head buried in the blue pillowcase.  
"Hmm, or is it?" She turned her head to see the handle giggle. There was an odd scratching sound followed by a click and the door swung open. "Ta-da!" He smiled, holding up a bobby pin.  
"What do you want Sokka?" she groaned. It wasn't the first time he'd unlocked her door.  
"Gran Gran wanted me to make sure you were up."  
"So you decided to play taps?" she asked annoyed, gesturing to his bugle that lay discarded outside her room.  
"Yes," he answered frankly, "We have to drive up to camp later."  
"Wait." She sat up in bed, "That's today?" _How convenient,_ she thought sarcastically.  
"Yeah, I've been talking about it for weeks. The campers come next week, but staff shows up early to plan stuff and organize." She groaned and got out of bed, knowing any chances of sleeping more were gone.  
"What do I even bring?" she asked, "Do they know I'm coming?" Sokka deflated at her second question.  
"Yeah, they know you'll be there. Dad had me contact them last week."  
"You already knew he was leaving." She was stunned, feeling a new wave of betrayal. After the initial shock faded, anger set in. "You couldn't have told me, given me a heads up?"  
"I couldn't!" he said defensively, "He made me promise not to and-"  
"Bullshit!" she screeched.  
"It's true! And I hated that you didn't know. I'm so sorry Katara," he said, eyes wide with sincerity. The next thing she knew he was hugging her and she was sobbing.  
"Why does he do this to us?" she asked, her voice sounding foreign and broken.  
"I don't know Katara. I don't know why he decided to leave or why he waited to tell you."  
"Is it really because of Mom?"  
"I don't know. I wish I did." She sniffed loudly before releasing him.  
"How did you react when he told you?"  
"Badly. But in the end I tried to forgive him."  
"Forgive him for abandoning us?"  
"We're not children anymore Katara. We'll be okay."  
"I still don't understand how you can forgive him."  
"I forgave him because I didn't want my last words to him to be hateful." What had her last words been? 'Have a nice life?' She cringed inwardly. "That being said, I'm still just as unhappy and confused about it as you are. He could have approached this differently." She nodded and noticed she was standing on a piece of paper.  
"What's this?" she asked, picking up the paper he must have dropped.  
"Oh, that is a packing list the director of the camp made."  
"Well," she sighed, "I guess I should start packing…" Sokka nodded and left her to it.

She dove into packing. She didn't do things half-assed. If she made up her mind or agreed to something, she followed through. _This time's like no other_ she thought as she dutifully followed the packing list. It was a bit of an unusual list. There were the normal camp items, but also extra stuff like a nice dress/suit, dress shoes, cell phone, white t-shirt, and camouflage clothes. She didn't quite understand. Sokka had worked at Camp Kyoshi the previous summer, but had been quite secretive about what went on. There were vague comments about how awesome the camp was, but no specifics.

Her thoughts soon drifted to her dad as she stared at her duffel bag. Why had he lied? Or more importantly, why did he want to go? She thought they were doing so well, the three of them and Gran Gran. Apparently, he wasn't as okay as he let on.  
"Are you alright Katara?" Asked Gran Gran, coming in to deliver a clean batch of clothes.  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, forcing a smile. "Just thinking."  
"About your father?" Gran Gran guessed.  
"Yes..." She sighed  
"It's okay Katara. He'll be back in a few months, he always is." She hoped so.  
"Uh-huh," she mumbled as she tucked her jeans into the duffle bag.  
"Are you sure you'll be fine working at this camp with Sokka? You don't have to go..."  
"Yeah, I'll be fine Gran Gran, I promise. This'll be fun." She tried to convince herself as much as her grandmother.  
"Only if you're sure Katara. You know your dad and I just want you to be happy." They wanted her to be happy, but she just wanted them to be happy. Her family was everything to her and it hurt to learn that her dad had been miserable at home. He was still searching for something. It had been that way ever since... "I know you and Sokka will have a great time," Gran Gran said with a grin, interrupting Katara's thoughts.  
"Yeah," Katara gave a small smile, "it's going to be a great summer."

 **-Zuko-**

It was a long drive to the camp. He stuck his earbuds in to drown out the boredom. Uncle's camp was way off in the middle of nowhere. It looked like it belonged to a different world. Camp Kyoshi rested on Lake Unagi and was Uncle's pride and joy. Zuko knew his Uncle started the camp because of Lieu Ten. Zuko's older cousin had always talked about opening a summer camp called Kyoshi after he got out of the navy. Uncle brought Lieu Ten's dream to life after Lieu Ten died several years ago when the ship he was on blew up. It had been an accident the navy officials told them, a pipe with a weak weld. The family had been devastated. Zuko had always looked up to his cousin. It seemed impossible for him to just be gone, to leave and never come back. When Uncle first opened the camp Zuko spent most of his summers there to still have a connection to his cousin, but in time even that faded.

Zuko was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't notice his mom had stopped the car.  
"We're here," she announced.  
"Greaaat," he groaned and opened the car door.  
"Would you stop that please?" Mom asked as she stepped out, "It won't be that bad."  
"Whatever Mom," he said as he rolled his eyes and pulled his duffel bag from the back seat. She sighed and he felt a twinge of guilt. He knew he shouldn't be so sullen, but he couldn't help it. When Mai had ended their relationship, he was crushed. He guessed when he called her that it wouldn't go well, but breaking up? It hadn't been some puppy love for him like his mom had called it. For him, it had been real.

Although he hadn't told his mom out right that they had broken up, she must've just realized it. That would explain the sappy look she was giving him that had replaced her look of annoyance.  
"I know it seems hard to believe now, but it was probably for the best." She consoled him. Yup, she'd figured it out. Now she was trying to tell him it'd work out. _Sure it was_ he thought, "I'm serious Zuko. What was going to happen anyways? She's leaving for college in the fall."  
"Really? I had no idea." He said sarcastically, "Thanks mom." She'd only mentioned it 5,000 times. So what if they were a year and a half apart? It was practically nothing. Zuko's dad had been 12 years older than his mom. Although... they hadn't been the finest example of a couple...  
"I really am sorry," she said sincerely, "Try not to let it ruin your time at camp. You'll get to work with some of your old friends and your uncle."  
"I haven't worked here in two years mom. I doubt I'll know anyone." Besides Uncle, he'd be surrounded by strangers that were for the most part 9 to 12 year olds. He was about to add something else when a car pulled up and a guy got out of the passenger seat.  
"Zuko is that you?" The guy asked and jogged over.  
"What were you just saying?" Mom asked under her breath with a sideways grin. He ignored her comment.  
"Sokka?" Zuko asked, so surprised to see a face from his past.  
"Hey!" Sokka smiled and shook Zuko's hand, "How have you been?" Truthfully, he'd been better, but he didn't want to tell Sokka that. So much had happened since they last met, too much to bring up. So he settled for a stock response.  
"Good. You?"  
"Yeah, I've been good." Sokka replied with the same nonchalant shrug, "Long time no see. What's it been? 8 years?"  
"Ten actually." Zuko's Mom said with a small smile, "It's nice to see you again Sokka."  
"Same to you too ma'am."  
"You've grown up so much. You must be heading off to college this fall."  
"Yep, that's the plan, but we'll see how long I last."  
"That's great." She smiled, "I'm sure you'll be fine. I wish you the best of luck. As much as I'd like to linger, I better go. Errands. I'll let you two catch up. Say 'hi' to your uncle for me Zuko?"  
"Okay, bye Mom." They hugged quickly before she got back in the car. As she drove off, a part of him wondered if she even had errands. It was as though she didn't want to interrupt.  
"So..." Sokka said once she was pulling out of the drive, "Have you worked here before?"  
"Yeah, my uncle's actually the director."  
"Iroh's your uncle? Dude, he talked about you, but I had no idea it was you. That's cool man."  
"So I guess you've worked here before then?"  
"Just once last summer, actually-" A car door opened and slammed.  
"Sokka!" A girl called, interrupting them. Zuko thought he heard him mumble 'speak of the devil' before he replied loudly.  
"Yeah?" He hollered back.  
"Come help me with my bag," she replied.  
"Who's that?" Zuko asked. Girlfriend maybe?  
"Do you remember my sister?" Sokka asked, "Katara?" Just as Sokka said her name, she came around the side of the car. _Holy shit_ he swore to himself. He did remember Katara, very well in fact. Waves of memories flooded back. Even in the span of 10 years, he could never forget her. Her eyes were just as piercingly blue as he remembered. It was obvious the summer just got a whole lot more interesting.

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 **a/n I really hope you liked it and I would love to hear your thoughts in a review! Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n Wow. The response I have gotten is astounding. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Wow. Just wow. Your support means everything to me!**

 **The point of view in this chapter overlaps a little, but I hope in subsequent chapters things will run more smoothly. As far as updating goes, I'm still trying for weekly, but as you can tell I didn't make the deadline with this chapter. You can probably expect updates every 7-10 days, but I guess only time will tell. Anyways, enough talk. I'm sure you'd rather read the update!**

 **Disclaimer: Nope**

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Chapter 2

 **-Katara-**

A few minutes ago, she had been asleep in the car, but now she was wide-awake. She recognized him instantly, despite a large burn on the left side of his face. Sadness spread through her as she wondered how he got his scar; it only looked a few years old.

Zuko stood there next to Sokka staring at her like she was a ghost.  
"Hi," she said awkwardly, too surprised to say anything else.  
"Hi," Zuko replied just as awkwardly. A silence fell between them as they just stared at each other. It had been over 10 years since she'd seen him. Many years ago, Zuko's family and her family had been neighbors. This was back when her family was happy and whole. She remembered almost every second of their childhood together. They had been each other's first kiss, granted they were only 5 and 6 years old at the time, but still... It had been hard when he had to move away with his family. He had been her best friend. Now he was a grown man, a very handsome one too even with his new scar. She looked at him, seeing how else he'd changed. He no longer had the round face of a boy, but a man's face with a strong jaw and a smoldering gaze. There was an odd spark when she stared into those amber eyes. It was such a strange and instant connection she soon averted her gaze and tried to shake off the feeling.  
"So..." Sokka said filling the silence, "you needed help with your bag?"  
"Uh, yeah, that's right," she replied, trying to regain her wits.  
"Oh?" Zuko asked surprised, "Are you working here this summer?"  
"Uhmm…yeah..." she replied slowly, not knowing what else to say.  
"Sorry, I guess it was kind of obvious...bags..." His rambling made her smile. It was oddly adorable. "I better go find my uncle." He said abruptly and without further explanation he picked up his duffel bag and left.  
"Okay, bye Zuko." Sokka called after him. Then he turned to her, "What was that all about?" She shook her head and shrugged. She was still trying to process seeing him again. What were the odds?  
"You kids coming?" Called Gran Gran, effectively ending their conversation.

Soon the bags were out of the car and they were saying their goodbyes.  
"Goodbye Gran Gran," Sokka said as he bent down to hug the old woman.  
"Goodbye Sokka," she replied, stretching up to reach him, "Stay out of trouble."  
"Ha! Er… I mean yes ma'am," he said with a goofy grin. Gran Gran shook her head and turned towards Katara.  
"Goodbye, Katara," she said as she pulled the girl into her arms, "You'll be okay?"  
"Yes, Gran Gran, I'll be fine," Katara assured her as they released each other.  
"Did you know that boy?" asked Gran Gran, eyes lit with curiosity. Gran Gran had come to live with them after Zuko's family had left, so she'd never met him.  
"Long ago," Katara said with a sad smile. She hoped working with him wouldn't be too weird. She genuinely wanted to get to know him again.  
"Well, as long as he's a nice boy… Just be careful."  
"Gran Gran!" she gasped, shocked.  
"What?" her grandmother chuckled, "Didn't you see the way he looked at you?"  
"How do yo-"  
"I was watching from the rearview mirror…" Gran Gran grinned sheepishly and Katara just shook her head in disbelief.

 **-Zuko-**

Finding his uncle had been easy. The man's boisterous laugh could be heard from even outside the main lodge. Zuko felt on odd sense of coming home when he walked into the building. His Uncle had his back to Zuko and was standing next to a girl dressed solely in pink. They were both looking at a napkin that had been preserved behind glass and hung on the wall. Zuko knew what it was immediately. It was a drawing his cousin had done years ago when they were in a restaurant. The lines and labels in pen created a layout for buildings and underneath the doodles were the words "Camp Kyoshi."

When the main door closed with a soft thump behind him, Uncle turned and smiled. Zuko walked over and was immediately pulled in for a hug. He just had to smile and give his head a small shake. Uncle really hadn't changed. After Uncle finished hugging him, he waived the girl in pink back over.  
"Ty Lee, come meet my nephew, Zuko," Uncle said, smiling proudly.  
"Oh! So you're the famous nephew we've heard so much about! It's very nice to meet you Zuko!" Ty Lee gushed, extending her hand.  
"Nice to meet you too Ty Lee," he replied, shaking her hand firmly. She giggled.  
"Just Ty is fine. Only Iroh calls me by my full name." Something must have caught her eye, because she quickly turned to look out one of the front windows, "Oh! Sorry! Be right back!" And with that, the whirlwind of pink rushed out the door.

 **-Katara-**

The camp was picturesque with its mountains, trees, and lake. The trail followed the lakeside before turning sharply and heading up a hill. The main lodge rested atop the hill with cabins lining the path. They were half-way up to the main lodge when she had to turn around and look at the lake. It was so beautiful. She couldn't help but think the place belonged in a fairytale book.  
"You know there's a monster in that lake, right?" Sokka asked, noticing that she had paused.  
"Ha. Ha. Very funny Sokka," she replied, rolling her eyes and turning back around.  
"I'm serious!" he said as they started walking again, "The Unagi eats the nonbelievers."  
"That's nice Sokka. I hope you tell that to all your campers." In response, her brother did the very classy move of sticking his tongue out. Just then, a girl dressed head to toe in pink came bursting out of the main lodge.  
"Hi Sokka!" she beamed, coming up short right in front of them.  
"Hey," he smiled back.  
"You must be Katara!" the girl said, vigorously shaking Katara's hand, "It's so nice to meet you! I'm so glad you'll be joining us! I'm Ty Lee, but everyone calls me Ty." Ty said, still smiling from ear to ear.  
"Hi Ty," Katara greeted. She was slightly overwhelmed with the enthusiasm her fellow staffer had. "It's nice to meet you too."  
"I heard a lot about you from Sokka. I think we're going to be fast friends!"  
"So you worked with him last year then?"  
"Yeah, I worked at the camp last year, but it was so much fun I decided to come back."  
"That was basically Sokka's reason for coming back too. Funny, though, I don't remember seeing you on the last day of camp last year." Ty's smile wavered.  
"Uhm, yeah I couldn't stay until the end last year. I had to deal with some things at home..." Her voice faded.  
"So is Iroh in the lodge?" asked Sokka, before the awkwardness could set in. Ty gave him a grateful smile.  
"Yeah, he is," she replied, regaining herself. Sokka and Katara resumed walking up to the lodge while Ty walked backwards so she could face them. Katara was amazed that she never stumbled. "Oh!" Ty said suddenly remembering something, "Did you know Iroh's nephew will be working here this year?"  
"Really?" Sokka seemed excited and surprised, "No, I didn't know that. Did you meet him? What's his name?"  
"I just met him briefly before I saw you guys walking up." She replied, "His name is Zuko." Sokka and Katara stopped in their tracks. Ty frowned. "What's the matter? Do you know him?"  
"Yeah, we do actually," Sokka answered, still stunned.  
"Didn't this director guy ever mention his nephew's name?" Katara asked her brother in disbelief, but he shook his head.  
"He always just referred to him as his nephew. I guess we'll have more to talk about now."  
"Uh-huh," she agreed absentmindedly. It was crazy. Not only would she be working alongside Zuko, but he was also the director's nephew? Things like this didn't happen except in Hallmark movies.

 **-Zuko-**

He watched them through the window and had to smile. Even from afar, he could see Ty bouncing with energy.  
"Is she always like that?" he asked Uncle. The old man smiled.  
"Yes, but it comes in very handy. One needs a lot of energy when dealing with the campers." Uncle was silent for a moment, a sad look glassing over his eyes, "In truth, I'm glad to see her so happy. She was unable to stay through camp last year due to some problems at home." Zuko felt a pang of empathy before Uncle clapped him on the back. "Now, I think those will be our last two staff arrivals so we can begin introductions. The chairs are already out if you want to grab a seat." Uncle gestured to where the dining tables had been pushed aside and a square had been made with four of the small benches. Zuko nodded absently, thinking about the latest arrivals.

He felt bad for leaving them so quickly earlier, but he didn't know what else to do. He had made a fool of himself and his ears burned slightly at the mere memory. Hopefully the initial awkwardness (and surprise) had faded and they could actually catch up. He had thought about her off and on over the years. He hated to admit it, but he always had a thing for the neighbor girl. That's why when she dared him to kiss her when they were kids, he didn't hesitate. Then everything changed when his father got a new job and they had to move away. His thoughts grew darker thinking about his father and he found himself gritting his teeth.  
"You okay Zuko?" Ty asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.  
"Yeah, fine," he lied. She gave him a brief smile.  
"Mind if I sit here?"  
"Huh?" he hadn't been paying attention. He quickly glanced around and noticed every other seat (besides the one his Uncle had claimed) was taken. "Oh yeah, sure." He scooted over a little to make room. The benches were built for two campers or about one and a half staffers, but since Ty was so petite it wasn't a problem.

He looked around again at the others. It wasn't a very big crew, only five other staffers. His gaze immediately seemed to fall on Katara. She was smiling as the boy she sat next to talked. From what he could make out, the boy was telling her some kind of story about his old school. Zuko felt a twinge of jealousy, which was ridiculous. Yet, there was something he didn't like about the guy.

Zuko was still staring when his Uncle took a seat and the chatter stopped.  
"Welcome everyone!" Uncle greeted, "It's so nice to see a few familiar faces and a few new faces. This first week is all about training. You'll learn about the program I've outlined for this year, how to handle the campers when they arrive, and we'll organize some skits and songs to perform for them during the campfires. Since we will all be working closely together, how about we go around and introduce ourselves? Maybe you can start with your name, if you've worked here before, and staff position." Nobody said anything for a second. "I'll go first," Uncle suggested and everyone nodded in agreement, "My name is Iroh, but I'll also answer to Uncle, especially with my nephew around." All eyes turned to Zuko and he felt his ears go red. Thankfully, Uncle took the pressure off by resuming his introduction, "I started this camp five years ago with the financial support of the camp's benefactors the Beifongs. It was my son's dream to open a camp like this and I'm so glad I've been able to bring that dream to life, even if he isn't here to see it… Now, who's next?" Sokka, who sat to Uncle's left, shrugged.  
"I guess I'll go," he said, standing up while Uncle nodded encouragingly, "My name is Sokka, this is my second year at Camp Kyoshi, and I'll be a counselor and in charge of arts and crafts." The boy next to Katara sniggered, "Don't knock it 'til you try it." Sokka added as he sat down. The girl with chopped off brown hair sharing a bench with Sokka stood up.  
"Hey everyone," she announced, "my name is Suki, this is my first year at Camp Kyoshi, and I'm going to be the cook this year." She sat down with unexpected grace. Suddenly it was Zuko's turn. He stood up slowly, trying not to look at Katara.  
"Hi, Zuko here," He said with a dumb wave. He groaned internally. What a stupid thing to say. "I've worked here before, but the last time was two years ago and I'm going to be a counselor and teach outdoor survival." He quickly sat down, but not before glancing at Katara and seeing her smile.

Ty wasted no time and leapt to her feet.  
"Hi!" she smiled, "I'm Ty Lee, but everyone calls me Ty. This is my second year working here and I'll be a counselor and teach basket weaving!" She started to sit down, but jumped back up, remembering something, "Oh! I'll also be leading the early morning Tai Chi if anyone wants to join me!" With one last smile, she drifted back down to her seat.

Next was Katara. She stood and smiled shyly. _Even in cutoff jeans and a t-shirt she_ – he shook his head to stop the errant travel of his thoughts. He hadn't seen her in a decade for Christ's sake. He didn't even know her anymore (but he wanted to).  
"Hey, I'm Katara," she said with a little wave and somehow it didn't look dorky when she did it, "This is my first year at Camp Kyoshi, and I think I'm going to be a counselor, but I don't know what else…" She awkwardly sat back down, her voice drifting. Uncle quickly picked up the conversation.  
"Since Katara was so recently hired, she hasn't selected another position." Uncle explained, "Katara, did you have any particular position you wanted?"  
"Uh, I don't know. Whatever is fine," she replied with a shrug, "I'm not picky."  
"Well," Uncle said thoughtfully, "It's going to be a wonderful summer on the water. Perhaps you'd like that? Are you CPR and First Aid certified?"  
"Yeah, I took a class through my school."  
"Perfect! Besides acting as a lifeguard, you'd be teaching kids canoeing."  
"That sounds great! I love canoeing." Even though Zuko couldn't see her face, he could sense her smile.  
"There is another water staffer," Uncle began, gesturing to the boy beside her, "But perhaps I'll let him introduce himself." The dark-haired boy got to his feet, the remnants of a smirk still on his face.  
"Sup?" he asked with a nod to no one in particular, "So this is my first year here and my name is Jet."

* * *

 **a/n So...how did I do? What do you think of the staffers? Did you think their positions fit their personalities? Were you surprised by Jet? Was the POV too jumpy? Is this too many questions? Yes. Ha! I hoped you liked the chapter and I'd greatly appreciate a review. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n I would first like to apologize for the lateness. This is ridiculously late and I'm very sorry! I became extremely busy with work and was unable to write. I really would like to establish a 7-10 day update (like I previously said… because that worked out this time… ), so if you can just bear with me.  
** **Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/ or is now following this story! The response has been phenomenal and continues to be motivation for me to write. I have some pretty exciting plans for this story, so I'm eager to hear what you think about future chapters (and this one of course).**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own AtLA, but I'd like to**

* * *

~Chapter 3~

 **-Katara-**

Overall, her fellow staffers looked like a great crew. Earlier she had entertained the idea of sitting next to Zuko during the intros, but in the end she thought, it'd be too awkward. Thankfully, Jet had wasted no time in inviting her to sit next to him. As he stood and introduced himself to everyone, she took in his physique. He was tall, about a head taller than she was. He also had a lean build, dark unruly hair, and a crooked smile. She glanced over at Zuko in time to see him scowl. She didn't have long to wonder why, before Jet took his seat back beside her.  
"Now that we've all been introduced, how about we take a tour of the camp?" Iroh suggested and everybody got up, following his lead.  
"So I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other this summer," Jet said with a grin as they headed out of the lodge.  
"I guess so," she replied coyly.  
"Well, I can't say I'm disappointed," he said with a wink right before Iroh started talking.  
"Over here is the boys' bathroom," Iroh said, gesturing to the first building on their right. "And on the other side," he gestured to their left, "is the girls' bathroom." Iroh continued walking down the path, "Following the bathrooms are the cabins for the counselors and then the cabins for the campers. The counselor cabins can sleep six and the campers' cabins can sleep eight each. Oh, and just so we're clear," he stopped walking to face them, "The boys sleep on this side and the girls sleep on that side. Neither camper nor staffer will be exempt from this rule. Understood?" Everyone nodded and Iroh seemed pleased.

The group followed Iroh down to the lakeside and on a new path along the lake's shore.  
"This path leads to the docks, canoe shed, swimming area, and so forth." He explained. Sure enough, the path opened up into a large sandy beach. Two sections of the lake were roped off for swimming. _A deep end and a shallow end_ she assumed. "We do have a wood burning sauna; however, for safety reasons a counselor has to be in there at all times with campers." Iroh said as he pointed to a small building set off the beach and in the trees. "Zuko?"  
"Uh-huh?" Zuko replied, surprisingly close to her. She was so busy absorbing the scenery and listening to Iroh, she hadn't realized he was right behind her.  
"Do you remember how to work the sauna?"  
"Yes Uncle," Zuko confirmed.  
"Good! I'll have you run that then," Iroh smiled before turning back around and following the path into the trees. "This trail loops around behind the main lodge. Along the way, we'll see a few outbuildings where we'll have the basket weaving and the arts and crafts. Outdoor survival will be, naturally, taught outside." He chuckled at himself and led the way.

From the back of the procession, she looked around at the camp and at the other staffers. Zuko walked in front of her now while Ty chattered on. Katara watched as he nodded occasionally, but mainly walked straight ahead. She could faintly hear Sokka animatedly talking to the girl he had been sitting next to. Suki maybe? Whoever she was, Katara caught glimpses of her smiling at whatever Sokka was saying. Katara could only catch a few words, something about last year and sneak attacks.  
"So," Jet said to her. As soon as he spoke, she noticed Zuko stiffen. "That's your brother right?" Jet asked, nodding towards Sokka.  
"Yeah," she confirmed, "What about you?" she asked, "Have any siblings?" Jet smiled ruefully.  
"Nope," he answered, "My parents died before they could have any more kids." Katara's eyes widened in horror.  
"Oh! I'm so sorry, Jet! I-" Before she could apologize further he interrupted.  
"It's okay Katara. You didn't know," he shrugged, "How could you?" She still felt like shit. A part of her felt obligated to tell him about her parents, but the group had stopped and Iroh started talking.  
"This trail here leads up to the more mountainous part of the camp. We won't be hiking up there today, but you'll have the chance before the campers come. Once during camp, we'll take the campers up there so they can sleep in real tents. There's also some rock face up there that is perfect for climbing." Ty cringed slightly and Iroh must have noticed for he quickly added, "Don't worry if you've never belayed someone before, it's one of the skills you'll learn this week. It's a little past noon right now. Perhaps you'd all like to swing by the lodge to grab your stuff and settle in?" There was a murmured agreement and Iroh smiled. "Onward then. We'll take the shortcut."

An awkward silence had come between Jet and her. Everyone else seemed content enough chatting, but she wasn't sure what to say to him next. He had revealed a rather deep part of himself. Should she reciprocate? Should she let it go? In the end, he made the choice.  
"I've always loved the water," he said, thankfully stopping the awkwardness. She hadn't really noticed they had a view of the lake from the trail. It was truly beautiful.  
"Me too," she agreed, "I was-" Iroh interrupted.  
"I just wanted to point out the trail to the little amphitheater. That's where we'll hold campfires and some other activities." He informed them, "Anyways, carry on." She had to smile. Iroh was just so lovable. There was no other way to describe him. He was the uncle everybody seemed to want.  
"Anyways…" Jet said, "What were you about to say?"  
"Oh, just that I was practically raised on the water." She paused, deciding how much more to say, "We uh… We used to go sailing all the time when I was a kid."  
"Really?" he asked, smiling.  
"Yeah, either that or we'd go canoeing or fishing. Sokka likes to think he's a good fisherman, but I was the one to catch Big Nick."  
"Big Nick?" Jet repeated with a laugh. She then launched into the story of Big Nick. The famous fish that lived in the lake they used to frequent. It was a funny story. One of the last happy memories she had of her family.

Before she knew it, they were walking back into the main lodge. She was telling him the story how she once caused Sokka's "watch tower" to collapse on him, when Ty bounced over.  
"Ready to set up our cabin?" she asked, carrying a pink duffel bag and backpack.  
"Uh sure," Katara replied, picking up her things, "I'll talk to you later Jet."  
"Yeah, see ya," he smiled and swung his one bag over his shoulder. With a tug to her elbow, Ty reclaimed Katara's attention.  
"Come on," Ty smiled and started skipping for the door, "Suki just headed down. You guys can choose first, they're all the same to me."  
"Cool, thanks," Katara replied.  
"Last year there were four of us, so I shared my bunk with this one girl. But since there are three of us and three bunks, we each get our own bunk, which is awesome, not that I would mind sharing again! I'm just so happy to be back!" Katara smiled. Ty's joy was contagious.  
"I'm looking forward to working here," Katara replied, "This place is amazing!"  
"It totally is!" Ty agreed, "This first week will be so much fun getting to know everyone!" Ty continued to talk as they walked out the door, heading down to their new summer home.

 **-Zuko-**

It was going to be a long summer. When he first saw Katara (after getting over his initial shock), he was sure the summer would be exciting and maybe even fun; however, it seemed like Jet had other plans. _If Jet thinks he can just cut in and- wait what the fuck am I saying?_ Zuko shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Was he… jealous? Impossible. He just saw Katara again for the first time in ten years not to mention he had just gotten out of a relationship. It wasn't like he had any "claim" to Katara nor did he think such a thing was right. If she wanted to hang out with Jet…good for her… Deep down he knew he was just lying to himself.

He let out a frustrated groan from his corner.  
"Having troubles with the bedding?" Jet asked from another bunk. _Oh, fuck off._ Zuko wanted to reply, but instead he just grunted. He honestly didn't care about some stupid mattress cover. He once tried to suggest that staffers just use a sleeping bag like the campers, but his uncle had turned down the idea. Something about how a proper night's sleep is deserved after a proper day's work or a peaceful day starts with peaceful sleep or something. Right now, he wasn't feeling too peaceful because the stupid sheets weren't cooperating (it'd probably help if he had actually been paying attention…). Eventually he got them on.

By the time he got all his bedding on the lower bunk, Jet had already cleared out. Faintly Zuko could hear a girl laughing. Was it Katara? He didn't know and he definitely didn't care. There were footsteps up onto the small cabin porch and Zuko turned to see Sokka approach.  
"Hey," Sokka said with a nod.  
"Hey," Zuko replied. They didn't say anything else for a moment. Sokka dumped his things on the floor by the last bunk, the one next to the door.  
"So…uh… What's new?" Sokka asked as he started to unzip his duffel bag. Zuko shrugged. So much had changed.  
"Not much," he finally replied.  
"How's your sister doing?"  
"She's good, working at a self-defense school over the summer."  
"Little 'Zula?" Sokka asked with a surprised grin. Zuko chuckled. He had almost forgotten her little nick name.  
"Yeah," he agreed, "Don't tell her I said so, but she's quite the badass." Sokka laughed.  
"I won't," he smiled, "How'd she get into that anyways?" The humor drained from Zuko instantly. It wasn't something he liked to think about. Sokka picked up on the change in mood. "Never mind," he quickly said, "so Iroh is your uncle? I bet that was pretty great." A small smile stretched onto Zuko's face. "Seriously, though, the guy is hilarious. I don't understand about half of his metaphors or whatever, but he's so great."  
"You're right, that's very true," Zuko nodded, smiling in earnest now. Uncle had always been a great example when Zuko was growing up. Uncle was much more or a fatherly figure than Zuko's own dad had been. "So…" Zuko continued, distracting himself from thoughts of his father, "Did you work the same positions last year?"  
"Yeah, it worked out really well for me last year. I really enjoy creating stuff with the kiddos."  
"Nice,"  
"You like to work with the kiddos too I hear. Iroh talked a lot about you." Sokka explained.  
"Really? I'm sorry about that man."  
"No, it's cool. Most of the stories were pretty funny, mainly little stories of your time at camp both as a kid and just two years ago." What stories could Uncle have possibly told them? He shuddered at the thought.  
"Do I even want to know?" he asked. _God I hope he didn't tell them about the skinny-dipping incident…  
_ "Uh…probably not," Sokka grinned and turned back to his sheets.

Zuko chucked his duffel bag and backpack up onto the top bunk. When he needed his clothes or something he'd just crawl up and get them. He turned to look at the other corner of the room where Jet had set up. He had also chosen to sleep on the bottom bunk. A large black blanket hung down from the top bunk to curtain the bottom. Why? Zuko didn't know. In the other front corner, Sokka was just finishing laying out his blankets. All the bunks were set the long side against the wall, which made making the beds a little tricky. Tucked into the fourth and farthest corner of the room was a square wooden table with six chairs on the available two sides. The campers didn't have this table. Instead, they had an extra bunk.

How many summers had he slept in this cabin? Three? This would be his…fourth? Sounded right. The place didn't feel as homey as it once had. His eyes drifted back to Jet's bunk for a moment before he tore his gaze away. _Whatever._ He thought. He just had to work with the guy for the next 3 weeks. _Simple_ , he thought sarcastically.  
"I guess everyone else is up at the main lodge," Sokka said, tossing his bags up on the top bunk like Zuko had.  
"Yeah I guess so," Zuko replied, "It must be almost 1pm? Lunch is probably almost ready."  
"Food?!" Sokka exclaimed, "Let's go!" They were out the door in moments.

 **-Katara-**

After getting her bunk set up, she helped Suki arrange the tables in the main lodge (Ty needed a little more time settling in). Together, they pushed two of the square tables together and set out the benches all around.  
"There," Suki smiled, "now we don't have to share benches this time."  
"What about Iroh?" Katara asked, noticing there wasn't room for him then.  
"He's going to be in the kitchen most of the time." Suki replied, "He's probably already eaten."  
"Ah, I see. Did you help make this lunch?"  
"Nope," Suki shook her head, "I'll probably go over the menu with Iroh tonight or something so I can start cooking tomorrow. Luckily, this camp isn't as big as the last camp I worked at; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to keep up. Well, at least, not without an assistant."  
"Ah! So how'd you find out about this place?"  
"My parents own a cabin on this lake," Suki explained, "I used to come to Lake Unagi as a kid."  
"Very nice. I just heard about it from Sokka and I can't remember how he found this place…" It seemed like a hell of a coincidence that this was the camp Zuko's Uncle ran.  
"Well," Suki smiled, "I'm glad you're here."  
"Aww, thank you," Katara replied, genuinely touched, "I'm glad to be here too." Being there was much better than being at home brooding about her father. This summer may have been just what she needed.

It wasn't too long before the rest of the staffers began filing into the main lodge.  
"MEAT!" Sokka hollered when he caught the smell of barbeque pork coming from the kitchen. Everyone laughed, Iroh's booming laugh loudest of all. The kitchen was along the back wall of the lodge with a large counter and some partial walls separating them. Already spread out on the counter were plates, buns, veggies, chips, and a few pitchers of water.  
"Well," Iroh said as he sat a large pot on a heater pad, "With that, lunch is ready!"

At least Sokka had the grace not to sprint to the counter. He took a more leisurely jaunt, but was still first in line (not that anyone tried to stand in his way). Katara became third in line, behind Ty.  
"Hey," someone said behind her and she turned to see Jet. She hadn't seen him since they split off to arrange their cabins.  
"Hey," she smiled back.  
"What one did you pick?" he asked.  
"Huh?"  
"Which bunk in the cabin," he clarified as he reached past her to grab two plates. He handed her one.  
"Oh thank you," she replied as she accepted the plastic beige, "I took the top bunk in the far corner." She set her plate down to pull open a bun.  
"Nice, that's the one Zuko picked."  
"Really?" She didn't know why this surprised her. She glanced behind her to the end of the short line where Zuko stood.  
"Yep," Jet confirmed before leaning in conspiratorially, "He's a really cheery fellow." She laughed once in spite of herself, but followed it with a playful smack to Jet's chest. She could feel his skinny, yet firm body briefly underneath his shirt. She diverted her attention back to filling her plate before she could say or do something stupid.

After she finished making her plate, she took a seat at the table along one of the long sides. Sokka was digging into his sandwich at the end seat closest to the kitchen. _Figures,_ she thought with a small headshake. Her brother was a goofball, but of course, he was _her_ goofball.

Ty snagged the seat on Katara's other side and with Suki beside Sokka that left Zuko sitting across from her. She caught him glancing up at her once and smiled back. Immediately he looked away and the tips of his ears turned pink. She frowned slightly. But soon Jet was leading the conversation and she focused on him and the other staffers.

Jet first started talking about himself, but then moved on to why he decided to work on the waterfront.  
"What about you?" Jet asked suddenly, pointing a finger towards Zuko, "Always teach survival?" She saw Zuko's jaw tighten slightly before he spoke.  
"Sort of," he replied cryptically. When everyone kept looking at him, he sighed and continued, "When my Uncle first started this camp I did all kinds of odd jobs. Sure, I was only like 13, but still. I started doing survival a few years ago. The last time I was here I did survival and I helped out a lot on the waterfront actually."  
"Really?" Jet asked, "Well," he pressed on, "What made you choose survival in the first place?" Zuko blanched, but Jet didn't seem to notice and continued to stare expectantly at Zuko. She could tell Zuko was uncomfortable.  
"Jet…" she started to say, but Zuko spoke and interrupted her.  
"No it's fine." He quickly said before taking a deep breath, "I chose survival because I like to know that I can survive on my own." Jet seemed pleased that he got a response.  
"Neat." He replied before turning the conversation towards Sokka who magically got everyone else laughing.

Katara wasn't really paying attention to who was talking anymore; instead, she kept glancing at Zuko. He seemed on edge ever since Jet's interrogating. She wanted to talk to him, but there hadn't been a good time when they wouldn't be overheard. She just wanted a few moments alone with her former best friend. She always used to be able to tell him anything and vice versa. At the time, he seemed like the only one who understood her and listened. But had too much time past? She didn't need them to be best buddies like they had been; even though it'd be nice, she would settle for just being friends to some degree. She hoped he wanted that too.

* * *

 **a/n I hoped you liked the update! Mainly I'm trying to flesh out the characters in this stage. I hope you think it's going okay so far. I'd greatly appreciate a review and thank you so much for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n An early update…whaaaat? Honestly, I felt so guilty for taking so long between chapter 2 and 3 I've been working on this chapter like crazy (hence why it's early and long).  
** **We finally get a Zutara-esque moment in this one! Read to find out!**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned AtLA a certain movie would have never been made.**

* * *

~Chapter 4~

 **-Zuko-**

Why the fuck did it matter why he chose outdoor survival? The world didn't need to know his sob story. Let alone some prick like Jet. It took a few seconds after the conversation moved past him, before Zuko continued his meal. He could feel Katara looking at him, but couldn't meet her gaze. She had been about to come to his aid and he had mixed feelings about her intervening. He didn't want her to think he was some wimp, but did her speaking out… mean she cared? He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

The rest of the meal went on fairly painlessly. He occasionally smiled and nodded when someone said something funny, but honestly, he wasn't really paying attention. For the most part, Jet talked and Suki, Ty, and Sokka frequently chimed in. Katara herself remained slightly distant. Nodding appropriately, but not focused on what was going on. Like him. He really needed to talk to her. Maybe later? After lunch was over they'd probably go over safety and stuff, but it would take his Uncle a while to clean up…  
"What do we do with our dishes when we're done?" Katara asked, before anyone could answer Uncle walked out of the kitchen.  
"How is everyone doing?" he asked.  
"Good," everyone replied.  
"Good," Uncle smiled, "If you're done you can wipe off the plates into the trash and put them in the bin on the counter. The silverware goes in the same bin too. If you still have water in your cup, just dump it into the bucket on the side. I'll use it to water the plants." Katara nodded along. "Afterwards you can just hang out in here while I start cleaning up. In the future, you'll each take turns helping Suki and usually myself wash the dishes. Later we will also discuss other duties like cleaning the bathrooms."  
"Great." He heard Jet say under his breath. Zuko was resisting the urge to kick him under the table, when he saw Katara nudge him. Zuko couldn't help but smirk.  
"We'll also discuss safety," Uncle said. "Anyways, the sideboard over there has games and puzzles inside if anyone wants to take a look." He gave everyone a final smile before returning to the kitchens.

Perhaps now he would have his opportunity to talk to Katara. When she stood to put her plate away, he stood as well and walked with her.  
"Hey," he said speaking to her directly for the first time since that morning.  
"Hi," she replied with a smile. He was thinking about what to say next when Suki appeared at Katara's other side.  
"Hey, I'm going to help Iroh clean up," Suki said cheerily, "So I can t-"  
"Do you want some help?" Katara asked.  
"Nah, it's fine," Suki assured her.  
"Really, I want to help. I'll be helping you out in the future anyways."  
"Okay then," Suki agreed. Katara turned back to him.  
"Sorry," she quickly apologized before disappearing into the kitchens with Suki. He'd just have to wait for a better opportunity. He groaned internally. Patience was not his strong suit.

 **-Katara-**

The day just flew by. Suki and she had decided to help Iroh in the kitchen. She still wanted to talk to Zuko, but that would have to wait. Instead, she cleared off the counter while Ty schooled the boys in a game of Clue. Ty had first opted for Twister, but none-too-surprisingly, the guys said no. After the kitchen was cleaned, Iroh explained the stuff he previously mentioned. Safety was pretty straightforward. Every staff member was CPR and first aid certified and there were medical kits in every building. Lifeguard training would start tomorrow for her. Jet had already received the training so he'd be instructing her. Dish duty would alternate as necessary and staffers would clean bathrooms every other day. Once the kids arrived, teams of three would clean the bathroom with counselor supervision. All the cleaning supplies would be in the bathroom closet; however, more could be found in the main lodge's basement. Every Friday, a delivery truck would arrive with the week's produce. Iroh would collect and sort the mail by cabin every other day. The man himself lived in a small cabin behind the lodge and off to the side. The camp, in theory, seemed to run with ease.

Throughout the day, she smiled and laughed with her coworkers. It seemed like they were a nice meld of personalities. She even saw Zuko crack a smile a few times. She briefly wondered why he was so reserved. They were just kids last time she saw him, but she sensed he wasn't usually this quiet. He seemed like the kind of guy who was thoughtful, but also daring and honorable (well, and a little awkward).

The next thing she knew, it was evening and she was clearing up her dinner plate. Iroh smiled at her before coming out of the kitchen.  
"Now that we are all fed, how about some free time until the campfire?" he suggested, "It'll probably start just after dusk. There will be s'mores of course and it'll be a great opportunity to exchange stories. I'll see you all then." The thought of s'mores brought back both happy memories and sad memories. The last time she had them was on the last camping trip her family had took before… She shook her head. Nope. She was not going to cry, not here. She quickly put her dishes in the bin and started heading towards the door.  
"Hey! Where are you going?" Jet asked, coming up beside her.  
"I'm going for a walk," she answered, still walking. They were almost at the door.  
"Cool," he replied, "I'll come with you." She stopped and turned to him.  
"No," she said a little harsher than she meant to, "I mean, no thank you, Jet. It's fine. I'll see you at the campfire."  
"Oh, okay," he agreed and she pushed the door aside.

She wasn't sure exactly where she wanted to go. She just wanted to be alone, to let the tears fall away from prying eyes. She started heading down towards the lake. It wasn't until she was out of view of the main lodge that she started to run and let the tears flow. It was all just too much sometimes. Trying to keep everything in was exhausting. She didn't want to talk to her brother about all of it because he seemed at ease and happy here; she didn't want to ruin that for him.

Staying busy had helped take her mind off things, but now that the sad thoughts started, they consumed her. She didn't feel comfortable unloading all her baggage on her new staff members, but she wanted to talk to someone. A small part of her just felt like screaming. It'd be over an hour until campfire, so she had time to let it out, time to find a quiet spot and cry silent tears.

 **-Zuko-**

 _Where is she?_ He thought. After she left, Jet had resumed joking around and having a good time, but Zuko couldn't help but worry about her. She had fled the lodge about 30 minutes ago. Without any preamble, he decided to go check up on her and he stood to leave.  
"Where are you going?" Jet asked.  
"Out," Zuko replied gruffly and left.

Once he got outside, he started heading for her cabin, but realized she wouldn't be there. He suddenly knew exactly where he could find her. He picked up his pace and headed for the lake.

She sat at the end of the dock, legs dangling over, watching the sun sink behind the trees.  
"Hey," he said softly, not wanting to startle her. She turned her head at the sound of his voice.  
"Hi," she replied, smiling weakly. She scooted over "Join me?" He nodded once before walking towards her. Her face was dry, but he could see the evidence of tears. It made him sad. When he sat down, he decided to stare up at the changing sky. He didn't want to make things too awkward even though he was highly aware of her sitting next to him.  
"It's very beautiful out here," he said with a thick voice. _And not just the sunset_ he thought.  
"Yeah," she agreed, "It is."  
"Are you okay?" he asked gently.  
"Yeah. I'm good." she replied, "What about you? How have you been?"  
"Good," he answered immediately.  
"Good." They were silent once more. He wasn't sure what to say. She didn't seem to want to talk about herself, which he'd respect. Should he make the first move to build up their trust? He definitely didn't want things to go unsaid between them and have their entire time together to be awkward.  
"Ka-" he started to say.  
"Zu-" she started to say at the same time. They both stopped and she smiled lopsidedly at him. "You first," she said.  
"No, no, no," he insisted, "you should go first." She tilted her head down and raised an eyebrow. _Stubborn as ever_ he thought. "Fine. I uh…" it was much harder than he thought it would be, "I…It was a car crash." He divulged suddenly.  
"What?" she asked confused. He sighed and tried to prepare himself.  
"I got burned in a car crash when I was thirteen." Her eyes filled with horror and he sighed again. He didn't really want to tell her, didn't want to see the pity in her eyes; however, he couldn't stop now. "I was with my dad. It was late. He was drunk." _There it is_ he thought sadly, _the pity._ He had gotten through it all okay, just with a few more scars (both physically and psychologically). "Please don't look at me like that," he whispered after a few seconds of silence passed.  
"Like what?" she asked.  
"Like I'm broken," he replied as he looked back up at the sky, "I've spent enough of my life believing that."  
"Zuko," she said softly and he turned to look at her, "I don't think you're broken. I'm not pitying you. I'm sympathizing for a thirteen year old boy who went through a horrible ordeal, but has somehow become stronger because of it." He didn't know what to say. "I'm also sad I wasn't there for you."  
"It wasn't your fault. My parents moved me away."  
"It wasn't your fault either," she said so quietly he almost didn't hear her. Her gaze drifted away from him to the sunset.

After a few minutes, he broke the silence.  
"What were you going to say?" he asked.  
"Oh," she replied, "Nothing." He gave her a skeptical look and she smiled slightly, "I was just going to say that I'm glad you're here Zuko. I missed you." His heart leaped at her words. _Shit_ he thought. He was sure Mai had broken his heart beyond repair, but apparently, it still worked.  
"I missed you too," he replied, staring into the endless blue of her eyes. He could never forget the color of those eyes. They haunted his dreams, but also gave him hope. He could stare into them forever. All too soon, the moment was over and she looked away. He closed his eyes briefly and could still see her face. He sighed. _It's not going to happen_ he reminded himself harshly. He wasn't entirely sure what he wished would have happened, but he really wanted to find out.  
"So…" she said, bringing him back into reality. "How have you been, honestly."  
"This week hasn't been so great, but I hope it'll get better." _Because of you_ , "But as for this," he pointed to his face, "It's okay. It will never get any better, but…" He shrugged.  
"Was he injured as well?" she asked.  
"Who?"  
"Your dad. Was he also hurt in the car crash?" He couldn't help but laugh, a cold cruel laugh. When he glanced at her and saw her worried expression, he stopped laughing.  
"No, he wasn't," he finally answered. He took a deep breath, stared at the lake, and began. "A few years after we moved, my dad got laid off and things at home got worse. He always enjoyed a drink or two, but when he lost his job, he started to drink more and more. He and my mom started fighting more and he was always angry with her, like it was her fault. It wasn't anybody's fault but his own and he wouldn't accept that.  
"I used to play with Azula in her room during their fights, try to keep her from hearing them. The shouting would only end when he left the house. It was bad Katara," he said, turning to look at her, "Really, really bad." She reached out timidly and put a hand on his shoulder. He gave a small smile as she pulled away, before continuing. "One day I found her after a really bad fight with a red mark across her cheek and a bloody nose. That was it. We kicked him out that night. Packed his bags, changed the locks, everything. We all wanted him to sober up and try to get us back, but apparently, that was too hard for him. A few weeks later, he showed up sober and apologetic. He said he felt bad for missing my birthday and that he wanted to take me out for dinner, just the two of us. My mom tried to tell him no and I could see that it would lead to a fight, so I told her I wanted to go. We went to a bar and he drank a few beers, saying that beer didn't count as alcohol." He paused and smiled sadly, "That night he crashed the car he shouldn't have been driving into a pickup truck."

 **-Katara-**

Her heart went out to him. She wanted to comfort him, to tell him he didn't need to tell her, but he kept talking.  
"When I woke up in the hospital one of my first thoughts was if he was okay." He gave her another sad smile as he spoke and shook his head, "He was so okay that he skipped out somehow and was on the run. He couldn't face potential jail time, so instead of making sure I was okay, he ran. He had fucked up for the last time and was too much of a coward to own up to his actions." They both were quiet. She didn't want to speak and interrupt his thoughts. If he needed to talk to someone, she would be that person. "Maybe he wanted the control. He was angry that we banished him from the house and this was his way to be the person to leave instead of the person left," he finished. After the finality of his words, she ventured to speak.  
"Do you know where he is now?" she asked quietly.  
"No and I couldn't care less." She frowned slightly, "Katara. He became a horrible man, let alone father, whether he was drunk or sober. I know we're better off without him. Mom, Azula, and I finally have a normal life." She gave him a small smile.  
"Thank you." She said softly.  
"For what?"  
"For telling me." She wanted to tell him about her family, but wasn't sure if she should.  
"I think we should make each other a promise," he said suddenly.  
"What kind of promise?"  
"I think we should promise not to say things are okay when they're not." She thought about it for a moment.  
"Agreed," she decided and stuck out her pinkie.  
"Really?" he asked with a chuckle.  
"Hey, you said 'promise' and this is the only way to seal a promise." He smiled and stuck out his pinkie. "There," she said as she let go, "Now it's official."  
"That being said… I can tell you've gone through some shit yourself, but you don't have to tell me now if you don't want to. It's okay." She really appreciated his patience. He was so kind, but she wanted to tell him. She wanted to talk to someone about it all.  
"Thank you for being so understanding," she said as she smiled into his hazel eyes.  
"It seems like I've always been able to talk to you."  
"Same," she replied and took a deep breath. _Here I go…_ "My mom died several years ago." He lurched back at the news.  
"Oh Katara! I'm so, so sorry," his eyes were filled with sympathy.  
"Thanks," she said softly. Just saying the words aloud brought back the pain. "I miss her."  
"Of course you do. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my mother," he admitted, "I'm so sorry."  
"And it's not like there's anyone I can blame. She died of cancer. I know it sounds horrible, but if she had been murdered or killed by a drunk driver or something there would at least be somebody somewhere who was responsible." The words poured out of her mouth, intense and sharp, "I can't blame her for not getting regular checkups because she's dead. I can't blame the doctors because I know it wasn't their fault. She was supposed to be getting better. The radiation was supposed to be working, but it wasn't. She's dead." The tears started to flow again, "She's dead." She repeated this time in a whisper.  
"Hey, shhh…" Zuko soothed as he turned and opened her arms for her. She went gratefully into them. "Shhh…" She buried her face in his neck as he gently stroked her hair. She hated herself for falling apart in front of him, in front of anyone. She sniffed as she disentangled herself.  
"Sorry," she croaked, her voice hoarse from crying.  
"There's nothing to apologize for," he replied. They sat in silence for a moment as she wiped her eyes.  
"I haven't cried like that in front of anyone over her since the day she died," she realized.  
"Really?" he asked. She nodded her head thoughtfully.  
"Not even at the funeral. I had to grow up. Gran Gran was already living with us, but she couldn't run the house alone."  
"Oh," was all he said.  
"Of course, I've cried for other reasons since…that," mainly angry tears that had slid down her cheeks without her permission, "but I haven't let myself cry that hard for her in front of people." The thought of her dad popped back into her head. "I actually cried last night, by myself, when my dad left."

 **-Zuko-**

Her sad smile broke something within him. She had to be so strong for so long.  
"He joined the navy not long after Mom died," she explained, "and the next thing I knew he was gone. Earlier this year, he could have been done. He'd put in enough time, but he chose to re-up. And the worst part… he told me yesterday that he was leaving today. I mean, that's pretty fucked up isn't it?"  
"Definitely," he agreed firmly, "That's not right."  
"Yeah, I wasn't afraid to tell him what I thought about it either. And now I'm just hoping he'll be okay. From what I heard from Gran Gran, I might have already lost my chance to contact him."  
"I'm sure he'll be okay." He said, trying to comfort her even though he hated when people said things like that to him. _Easy comfort isn't comforting_ the words drifted back to him. He'd read them somewhere… "He's already done one deployment you said? He should know what he's doing." It was a lame response, but she smiled anyway.  
"Thanks Zuko," she replied and leaned over to rest her head against his shoulder. He didn't want to admit how natural it felt or how it made his heart beat just a little faster.

The sun had disappeared and the remaining light was slowly fading. After a few minutes, he felt like he should say something. Should he ask if they could be friends again or was that obvious? He wasn't sure. He was just about to open his mouth and say her name when another voice beat him to it. Zuko didn't have to turn around to know who it was either.  
"Katara," Jet called, walking towards them. She sprung back and quickly scrambled to her feet.  
"Hey Jet," she said, swiftly wiping her face for old tears.  
"Are you okay?" he asked before glancing at Zuko, "Is he bothering you?" Zuko had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything and his knuckles turned white from gripping the dock.  
"No, no, no," Katara quickly replied, "I was just catching up with him. We used to be friends." Zuko didn't like the way that sounded. Past tense. He slowly stood.  
"Yeah," he agreed, "I should probably get going actually. I need to help my Uncle light the campfire and stuff…"  
"Oh okay," Katara replied. Did she sound a little disappointed? "See you later."  
"Uh-huh," he nodded, "Bye." He walked back up the length of the dock, trying to ignore whatever Jet was saying. He was glad Katara and he finally got the chance to talk, but he wished it had ended differently. _Whatever,_ he thought. He'd see her again soon at the campfire. It worried him a little just how drawn to her he was. Things or feelings like this didn't happen to people (least of all to him) except in the romance novels Azula secretly read. He didn't want to fuck up his restored friendship with Katara. He'd hate to have to spend the entire summer avoiding her.

Hopefully the summer would go smoothly. The other staffers seemed pretty cool. Well…except for Jet. There was something about him Zuko didn't like. Zuko's gut told him not to trust the guy, but he hoped he was wrong for everyone else's sake.

* * *

 **a/n Information overload yet? I actually had Zuko's background story written a while ago; it was one of my first ideas. I hope you thought it worked well in the story! Drop me a review and let me know. Thanks for reading!**

 **Does anyone recognize the quote Zuko thinks of "easy comfort isn't comforting?" Also, does anyone else dislike Jet? xD**

 **Next update probably won't be until next Saturday, so stay tuned!**


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n Happy Halloween! Hope everyone is having a spook-tastic night!  
** **Thank you for all the response on my last chapter! Your reviews are amazing! I sometimes find it hard to believe that you guys like my work so much. :P** **As promised, here is my update!**

 **Disclaimer: No, just no**

* * *

~Chapter 5~

 **-Katara-**

"So you two go way back huh?" Jet asked, gesturing with his head to where Zuko had disappeared into the trees.  
"Yeah, we used to be neighbors," she replied, unsure how this was his business.  
"Ah," he said then looked down at the dock, "Do you want to sit?"  
"Sure," she agreed and resumed her spot. Jet sat smoothly beside her. She noticed that it didn't feel quite as comfortable as it had with Zuko, but tried to push the thought away.  
"How long ago was this?"  
"Since we were neighbors?" Jet nodded, "Ten years I guess."  
"Ah!" Jet said, sounding relieved. "I see."  
"What's your problem with him?" she asked.  
"I don't have a problem with him." Jet replied defensively. Seriously? Did he think she was blind? Jet sighed, "I'm sorry, Katara. I was out of line, it won't happen again." Her expression softened slightly, "The other day was the sixth anniversary of my parents' death and I guess I'm not quite myself yet." Now she felt bad.  
"Oh, I'm sorry Jet." She put a hand on his shoulder. He gave her a small sad smile, although his eyes twinkled with life.  
"That's okay. I guess I had it coming." He paused, "So what do you have against s'mores?" he joked with a chuckle. She didn't think it was very funny. She also didn't feel like any more profound conversations, so she changed the topic.  
"We should probably go," she said standing up, "Campfire will start soon." If Jet was smart, he'd drop the subject.  
"Yeah," he replied, hopping to his feet, "You're right." They were both silent as they walked back up the dock.

The little light that remained washed everything in black and white. It was all kind of gloomy. She accidentally bumped into Jet as she walked. She glanced up at him.  
"Sorry," she said quietly. He grinned.  
"No worries," he replied and nudged her back. She smiled too and lightly shoved him again. "Oh-oh-oh, is that how you want to play?" he asked.  
"Uh-huh." Bump.  
"Yeah," Bump. This time as he started to charge, she took a calculated step backward, letting him run off the trail.  
"Ha!" he laughed, "Nicely, played." He smiled, getting back on the path.  
"Thank you," she replied, laughing as well.  
"So are you excited to start lifeguard training tomorrow?"  
"Yeah," Katara smiled, "I am. A few years ago, I was on a swim team."  
"Really? Were you any good?"  
"I went to state two years in a row." She had to grin slightly. It had been an amazing feeling.  
"Wow, that's so cool!" he enthused, "Why did you stop?" Why had she stopped? There were many reasons. Sokka had convinced her to try out in the first place, promising to drive her to any needed practices, but she had stopped when she learned their father would be on deployment for six months. Before then, he had just been gone in stints of several weeks, but learning he'd be gone for a half a year… she couldn't find the joy in swimming again after that. "Never mind," Jet said, snapping her back to reality. She smiled gratefully at him.  
"So, where are you from?" she asked.  
"Someplace no one has ever heard of," he joked, "I was born in a small town near another small town known as Gaipan." She paused, thinking if she recognized the name or not.  
"Nope," she replied, "sorry." He laughed.  
"It's okay," he smiled.

They were back at the foot of the hill, in front of the cabins. She could smell the fire.  
"Which way?" he asked.  
"Let's loop around behind the cabins," she suggested. He agreed. They had seemed to find a natural rhythm now for conversation. She noticed Jet steered clear of questions about her past, which she appreciated. It was nice to talk to him.

 **-Zuko-**

He blew gently on the small flames, working them up to a roar. He didn't think about anything while he built the fire. His movements were instinctive and his mind peaceful. No conflicted or confused thoughts swirled around. Everything was calm.  
"So you and Miss Katara, huh?" Uncle asked, suddenly.  
"Uncle!" Zuko said indignantly, turning to face the chuckling man.  
"What? I'm curious." Uncle replied. Zuko shook his head once before continuing to tend the fire. "Didn't you tell me about her once?"  
"You mean when I was 5?" Zuko grumbled.  
"Yes, I remember you thought highly of her, as if she hung the moon and stars." Zuko smiled in spite of himself. Katara had been the center of his world back them. They had shared many childhood adventures together. Even when they fought, as all children do, it wasn't long before they were playing happily again. "I think she'd be good for you." Uncle continued softly, "I heard from your mother that you and Mai broke up. I am honestly very sorry to hear that. I do not like seeing you in pain, nephew." Zuko sighed.

Mai. They had been together for almost 8 months. He had met her at a Halloween party and she remained by his side the whole night, complaining about the other partygoers of course. He was surprised that she had stuck with him. He'd seen her around school and he'd heard all sorts of rumors about her. He had never had a girlfriend before, but that didn't bother her. In fact, she seemed to like it. She taught him all kinds of things and introduced him to her kind of music. He had gone along with all of it because that's what he thought he was supposed to do. He liked her and he didn't want to mess up whatever they had (even if he thought her favorite bands were nothing but screams).  
"You seem to have a connection to Miss Katara." Uncle added, "A connection even time cannot destroy."  
"Come on Uncle," Zuko said wearily, trying to hide how his words had resonated with him, "It's only the first day of camp."  
"Plenty of time for you two to reconnect then," Uncle smiled. What was he saying?  
"Did you plan this? Did you know she'd be here?" Zuko asked, his voice rising, "Is that why you wanted me here?"  
"Miss Katara did not finalize her spot here until a few days ago, Nephew." Uncle replied calmly, "Also, how was I supposed to know who she was?"  
"Her name is pretty unique." Zuko muttered, but he was slowly calming down.  
"It could also be that I wanted to see you Zuko. I always do."  
"Hmm."  
"Here is the last of the s'mores stuff Iroh," Suki said, appearing suddenly behind Zuko. It was weird that he hadn't heard her. She must be pretty stealthy.  
"Wonderful, thank you Suki," Uncle smiled, "Just set the tub on that metal table."  
"Hey guys!" Sokka called from the top of the amphitheater, "Are we early?"  
"No, no," Uncle assured him, "We will start once the others get here."  
"Perfect!" a voice squealed that could only belong to Ty. Which left… Jet and Katara… _Where are they?_ He wondered. He hoped everything was all right. A part of him really wanted to check on them, but he knew it wasn't his place. He still worried though.

Not listening to the idle chitchat of those around him, he sat on one of the logs around the fire, trying not to worry. Azula always said he thought too much. He stared into the fire. The logs were far enough back for safety, but close enough so he could feel the flames' warmth. There was something about fire he'd always felt drawn to, a figurative month to a literal flame. He watched the flames move, breathe. Before he could start to worry too much, they put him out of his misery.  
"Hey, sorry we're late." Jet called with a smiled as the pair walked down towards the fire, "Lost track of time talking."  
"No matter," Uncle replied, "take a seat on a log and we'll begin." Ty had been milling about talking to Sokka, but now she plopped down next to Zuko.  
"Hi," she smiled. He nodded once. Everyone else sat down.  
"We're going to do an activity first. This is a giant marshmallow." Uncle said as he held it up. "Toss it to someone, ask them a question, they answer, and toss it to someone else. The same person cannot catch it twice. The fire is low enough that it shouldn't catch on fire."  
"'Shouldn't?'" Zuko saw Jet mutter. Jet and Katara had taken the log opposite him and his lips were easy enough to read.  
"I will start," Uncle went on before he tossed the marshmallow to Katara. She caught it easily, "What is your favorite color?" he asked.  
"Blue," she replied with a smile and she tossed it to Suki, "What is your favorite hobby?"  
"Hmm…" Suki thought for a moment, "I like to study the Shaolin Fan Form."  
"What's that?" Sokka, who was seated next to her, asked.  
"It's self-defense using fans." She explained.  
"Maybe you could show me one day?"  
"Maybe," she repeated with a wry smile. She glanced around the circle and tossed the marshmallow at Zuko. He caught it in one hand. "What is your favorite place in the world?" she asked, then clarified, "That you've been to of course."  
"Here." He answered before tossing the marshmallow at Jet. He had planned to throw it to Sokka, but he'd caught Jet mouthing something. "What did you just say?"  
"Nothing man," Jet replied and threw the marshmallow to Sokka. "Why did you decide to come back to camp?"  
"Well, this place is pretty awesome," Sokka answered, "and I'm heading off to college in the fall so I have no idea what I'll be up to next summer." Ty easily caught the white blob. "What is your weird talent?"  
"Hmm… I'm really flexible, but I don't know if you'd call that weird or a talent." She replied.  
"What can you do?" Sokka asked.  
"I can do a bunch of cartwheels in a row and put my foot behind my head."  
"Can we see?" Jet asked. Ty nodded and promptly positioned her foot behind her head.  
"Ta-da!" she said as everyone laughed. "Now what?"  
"I still haven't gone yet," Uncle said so she tossed the marshmallow to him.  
"Why did you make this a co-ed camp?" she asked. Zuko was slightly surprised by the depth to her question. At first, she had seemed too frivolous and flighty, but apparently, she was much more than that.

Uncle smiled as he considered her question.  
"My son didn't want this to be a boy's camp or a girl's camp." He explained, "He wanted this place to be for all children." They were all silent until Uncle clapped his hands, "Now, we will toss the marshmallow back in opposite order and the person who tosses it must remember the answer the person they are tossing it to said." Zuko glanced around at the confused faces. "So I toss it back to Ty and she told us her weird talent is contortionism."  
"Okay…" Ty said slowly, concentrating, "So I toss it to… Sokka, who said he's coming back because it's fun and he's leaving for college in the fall." Uncle nodded and Ty threw the marshmallow at Sokka.  
"And I got this from…Jet and he said 'nothing.'" Sokka said as he passed on the object.  
"Zuko threw me this," Jet drawled, "and said that his favorite place in the world was here." Jet lobbed the marshmallow at Zuko with surprising speed.  
"Suki said she liked to study Shaolin Fan Form," Zuko said gruffly, annoyed. Had he detected sarcasm in Jet's words?  
"Katara tossed me it," Suki answered, "and said her favorite color… was… blue." Katara nodded as she caught the marshmallow.  
"And lastly, Iroh said his son wanted this camp to be for all kids." Katara finished, tossing the marshmallow back to Uncle.  
"Very good!" Uncle smiled, "I don't think we need to do it again. You all just proved you are excellent listeners. Let's have some s'mores!" Uncle stood and passed out roasting sticks while the bag of regular marshmallows went around.

 **-Katara-**

"Was there a point to all that?" Jet asked under his breath. Katara just shrugged, not wanting to say anything. She thought it had kind of been fun. She skewered her marshmallow onto the pointed stick and hung it out near the fire's embers. Of course, Sokka dangled his marshmallow over the flames and in seconds, it was on fire.  
"Ah!" he cried as he quickly retracted the stick and blew out the molten candy. Suki laughed next to him.  
"Are you okay?" she asked.  
"Yeah," Sokka replied, "I like it like this. Just ask Katara." Suki smiled.  
"Oh yes," Katara confirmed, "Sokka has always had a knack for catching his marshmallows on fire. It's not a camping trip without the smell of burning sugar." Everyone laughed.  
"Thank you," Sokka replied with a grin.  
"My sister used to burn her s'mores too," Zuko said, "She was too impatient back then."  
"And now?" Katara asked. Zuko laughed once.  
"She's working at self-defense school this summer, so she has to be a little more patient." He explained.  
"'Zula at a self-defense school?!" she asked in surprise. When she had known the girl, she had been pretty quiet.  
"That's what Sokka said when I told him," Zuko smiled, "She's...changed." Katara had a few ideas what might have caused Azula to change. Their father came to mind.  
"You're still the same," she commented.  
"No I'm not," he replied, shaking his head once, "At least, I hope not." He stared into the flames, probably thinking about how similar flames had once licked at his face.  
"So did you always have that nasty scar?" Jet asked loudly.  
"Jet!" she gasped and reflexively smacked him in the arm. How could he ask something so insensitive? She was about to scold him further when Iroh spoke up.  
"Now I do not see how that is any of your business Jet." Iroh said firmly. The tips of Jet's ears went red. _Good_ she thought.  
"Sorry," Jet mumbled.  
"We will be working very closely for the next three weeks," Iroh went on, "This entire camp cannot run smoothly unless its staff members get along and respect each other. I hope each of you understands this. I think you are all wonderful young people and I would hate to be wrong about that." Everyone was silent for a moment, absorbing Iroh's words.  
"I'm sorry," Jet said louder, more sincerely, "It must be this fire. I've seen fire cause death and destruction. Sometimes it's hard for me to see past that." Jet stared into the flames, as if in a trance. "You see… my parents died in a house fire." She gasped again for an entirely different reason.  
"Damn," Sokka said, reaching over to clap Jet on the back, "I'm sorry dude."  
"Thanks," Jet said softly. Then he cleared his throat, "Anyways, I'm really looking forward to working with all of you." There was a murmur of agreement.

A sudden brightening to the fire caught her eye and she glanced down.  
"Shit!" she swore and quickly picked up her roasting stick. She must have dropped it when she smacked Jet. By the time she got it out of the fire and blew on it, it was too late. Her marshmallow that had neared golden perfection was now charred.  
"Seems like I'm not the only one who likes them burnt," Sokka said with a laugh.  
"I'm not sure which way I like them best," Ty chimed in as she ate her second s'mores. "I've never had them before tonight so I'm trying both ways."  
"You've never had a s'more before?!" Sokka asked, shocked.  
"Uh-huh," Ty confirmed, "My mother was… against them. 'Too much sugar' she always said. Plus, we aren't a very close family."  
"Do you have any siblings?" Suki asked.  
"Yes," Ty answered.  
"You mean there are there more children who have been denied the joys of s'mores?" Sokka asked in horror that was probably 50% real.  
"Yeah, I have six identical sisters."  
"SIX!"  
"Ty Lin, Ty Lat, Ty Lao, Ty Liu, Ty Lum, and Ty Woo." She listed off.  
"But why do you go by Ty…?"  
"Because I'm the rebellious one," she said with a grin. "It also helps remind me that even though I might have a similar name to my sisters, I can be my own person. I'm more than just part of a set. I had to leave camp early last year to explain that to my family."  
"Well," Suki said, "I'm really happy to have met you, Ty." Katara nodded.  
"Me too," she said. Ty smiled.

Katara soon restarted her quest for a golden marshmallow and this time she was careful to keep a close eye on it. The time passed quickly. Everyone laughed, joked, and told stories. Jet told a story about his father scaring a pack of hooligans one Halloween after they had attempted to TP his house. It was a hilarious tale complete with a grown man leaping out of bushes. She watched him tell the story. She saw the crinkles in his eyes as he laughed. He was definitely on his best behavior, which was only appropriate after the stunt he had pulled. She couldn't necessarily be cross at him, but he had definitely stepped across the line. She hoped something like that wouldn't happen again.

Even though it'd only been a day, she valued the friendships she started already at the camp. She liked hearing people's stories, how they got to where they are now. Maybe one day she'd be an author and write some of them down.

It was late. Iroh had already turned in, but she wasn't tired. She'd always been a bit of a night owl. However, it appeared Zuko was not. She'd caught him yawning a few times and she wasn't surprised when he stood and stretched.  
"I'm going to go." He said quietly, "Goodnight."  
"G'Night!" she called after him. She thought she heard Jet say 'wimp,' but hoped it was only the crackling fire.

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 **a/n Hope you liked the chapter! It had a bit of ups and downs but was mainly a bunch of people hanging out. Next chapter starts some real fun :)  
Let me know your thoughts on this chapter in a review and thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n Hello again! Thank you so much for all the awesome feedback on the previous chapter! You guys rock! Sorry for not posting Sunday night, time just got away from me. As promised, this chapter is a bit more eventful than the last one. ^_^**

 **As a quick note, the underlined bit is a flashback/dream**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned them, I'd probably be more reliable at posting…and make Zutara canon.**

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~Chapter 6~

 **-Zuko-**

He stared up at the wooden slats of the bunk above him. He'd always been an "early to bed early to rise" kind of guy, but for some reason he was having trouble falling asleep. Sure, he was tired, really tired in fact, but his mind kept swimming with thoughts. Of course, all of his thoughts could be traced back to Katara.

His heart seemed to clench as he recalled the way her face lit up when she smiled. _What is wrong with me?_ He asked himself. It was ridiculous. He couldn't like her. He was completely crushed when Mai broke up with him on the phone last week so liking Katara would just be a rebound thing. Wouldn't it? All he knew for sure, he wasn't that kind of guy. He didn't do flings or sideline girls, probably why he never had a girlfriend until Mai. He sighed. He didn't really want to think about Mai right now. He just wanted to escape his thoughts and fall into a quiet sleep. But when he closed his eyes, all he could picture were Katara's endless blue eyes.

Eventually, he fell asleep, but visions of her plagued him. He dreamed they were just walking. Well that they were walking, talking, and holding hands. They used to do that as children. Walk and swing their joined hands between them. Then he dreamed they were kids again in her backyard in her little treehouse. Their legs dangled over the edge as they talked…

"Okay, your turn," Katara said, "Truth or dare?"  
"Dare," he answered automatically.  
"You're no fun," she replied, a small smile tugging at her lips despite her remark. She waited, maybe hoping he'd change his mind, but he wouldn't. "Fine. Hmmm…" she tapped her chin thoughtfully, before grinning, "Kiss me." Without a second thought, he leaned over and pecked his mouth to hers. It lasted only a second before he pulled back.  
"So uhm…" he said, feeling his ears start to get pink, "Truth or dare?"

His eyes slowly opened. Through the window near his head, he could see small rays of light through the curtain. The sun was just starting to rise. He still felt a little tired, but knew going back to sleep would be impossible. He quietly crawled out of bed and dressed. He glanced over to see Sokka curled up in his bunk snoring softly. From where he stood, he couldn't see Jet because of the blankets draped over the bottom bunk. It wasn't until he stood at the foot of Jet's bed, just as he was about to open the door, that he saw a mass in the blankets that appeared to be a human. Zuko rolled his eyes slightly as he opened the door.

The air was crisp even though it was July. He liked it. He walked off the small wooden porch. Down towards the lake, he could see Ty and Uncle doing Tai Chi. Hmm…should he join them? _What the hell,_ he decided and started walking down the dirt lane.

He'd done Tai Chi before. Uncle had introduced him to it a few summers ago, the first time Zuko was at the camp. That was the year after his cousin died and the year he got his scar. Of course, he hadn't gotten his scar yet, that didn't happen until after his 13th birthday at the end of August. After his accident, Tai Chi hadn't appealed to him. The Northern Shaolin Kung Fu style was more his speed. He'd used it to help channel the anger he felt about his father. He'd thrown himself into learning the art form. It wasn't too surprising when Azula wanted to learn too, in fact he encourage it. He always wanted her to be able to defend herself.

Uncle and Ty both had their eyes closed when he approached.  
"Hello Nephew," Uncle said without opening his eyes. Ty's eyes on the other hand sprung open and she beamed.  
"Hi Zuko!" she said, "Care to join us?" Zuko nodded.  
"Do you remember the basics Nephew?" Uncle asked. "Remember to start with your breathing."  
"Yes Uncle," Zuko replied and narrowed his stance to the width of his shoulders. He closed his eyes and moved his arms slowly as he breathed in and out through his nose, clearing his mind. He focused on his breathing and relaxing his body. When he felt ready, he opened his eyes and started following Uncle and Ty's moves.

The sun felt good on his back as he moved. The motions seemed so natural. Each stance flowed to the next. Everything felt peaceful. That was until he heard a mocking chuckle. His head snapped to the source of the sound. Jet.

 **-Katara-**

Someone was gently poking her.  
"Mhmm…" she groaned in complaint as she tried to burrow farther into her blankets. The nudging continued, "Go away Sokka."  
"My hands aren't that mannish," a voice replied that was decidedly not Sokka. Katara rolled over and pried open her eyelids to see a dressed Suki standing next to her.  
"Sorry," Katara mumbled as her eyes tried to adjust to the sunlight that was pouring in.  
"It's okay," Suki replied, smiling softly, "Iroh sent me to fetch you, practically shooed me out of the kitchen. Breakfast is going to start soon in the main lodge." Katara's stomach growled in response. The two girls laughed.  
"Okay," Katara said as she climbed out of bed. "Ty's already gone?" she asked, looking towards the empty bunk.  
"Yep, she must have left really early. When I woke up there was a… commotion outside."  
"A commotion? What happened?" Katara asked as she rifled through her duffel bag.  
"I'm not entirely sure. By the time, I got outside all I could see was Iroh talking to Zuko and Jet. According to Ty, the two of them had been arguing after Jet interrupted their morning Tai Chi." Katara looked over her shoulder at Suki who was now sitting at the foot of her own bed.  
"What was the argument about?" she asked before pulling on a t-shirt.  
"Jet claims he wanted to join them, but Zuko says Jet was mocking him." Katara frowned. She wasn't sure what to make of the news. From what little she knew of Jet, she could tell he liked to push Zuko's buttons a bit, but it didn't seem malice or anything. Also, why would Jet make fun of him in front of both Ty and Iroh? It didn't make any sense.

When she turned back around, finished dressing, Suki was reading what appeared to be a comic book.  
"What's that?" Katara asked. Suki jolted a little in surprise.  
"Nothing," Suki quickly said before stashing the comic under her pillow, "Just something I like to read now and then. Ready to go?"  
"Sure," Katara replied, not pushing the matter.

She smelled the aroma of pancakes as soon as she opened the doors to the main lodge.  
"Ah Miss Katara," Iroh greeted from the kitchen, "wonderful timing! I just finished with the latest batch of pancakes." Katara smiled at the friendly old man. She glanced to see everyone else already seated at the table.  
"They smell delicious," She replied as she headed towards the counter.  
"I may have flipped these pancakes, but the credit itself must go to Miss Suki and her wonderful recipe," he informed her as he laid down a steaming plate of pancakes.  
"Well they smell great Suki," Katara praised.  
"Thanks," Suki said with a smile. Also on the bar were all sorts of things to put on the pancakes from strawberries to a can of whipped cream to traditional syrup.

Orange juice in hand and plate filled, she took up the empty seat next to Jet.  
"Good morning," he said with a grin.  
"Morning," she replied, but didn't share his enthusiasm. She looked across the table to where Zuko sat hunched over his almost empty plate.  
"I hope you had a good lie in 'Tara," Sokka said, his mouth half full of bacon, "because when the campers get here we have to be up by 6." She scrunched her nose up in mock disgust. He let out a laugh before descending on his plate once more.

 **-Zuko-**

Jet was a dick he decided as he picked at his breakfast. It tore at him that he had to endure three weeks with the ass, but there was nothing to be done. Uncle seemed to think their differences could be solved over a nice hot cup of tea. If only things were that simple. He knew Jet's type. They were pompous, snarky, but clever and smart enough to get what they wanted. They were bullies in disguise. Zuko had to deal with them before in school his freshmen year. Pricks.

After a while of not paying attention to the conversation, he was surprised when he heard Katara's musical laugh. He glanced up to see her smiling at none other than Jet. Zuko gritted his teeth. Before anything else could be said, Uncle came out of the kitchen.  
"How is everything?" he asked. There was a chorus of 'really good.' "Excellent. So the plan for today is to start everyone on training. Most of you have worked here either before or at a similar position. You will soon find many similarities between this job and previous ones, except I allow and appreciate any input from anyone. I have some guidelines for the summer, when different stations will be open, how long the sessions should be, etc.; however, I trust my staff's judgement entirely." His eyes seemed to flicker to Jet's, "I hope my trust isn't amiss." Uncle paused, looking around the table. "Good," he said satisfied. "Now, Miss Suki and I will handle breakfast clean up since it's just the seven of us we didn't make too much of a mess.

Miss Ty and Sokka, I have some packets of materials for you. They're ideas I had for things for the campers to make. After breakfast, you two can go over them. Test-drive the creations if you want then tell me which ones you like the best. Miss Katara and Jet will be with…" _Shit_. "Zuko and go over the basic care of the canoes, our organizational system, and other stuff. Then Katara can start her lifeguard training. One of you can come fetch me to administer the final test. Lunch will be at 1pm. Questions?" _Why did you pair me with Jet? Was that necessary? And you threw Katara into it too, why?_ Zuko wanted to ask, but he wouldn't say them out loud. "Okay, have a nice day." With that, Uncle smiled and headed back for the kitchens. They would all need to change before heading down to the docks. They needed their bathing suits and a towel.

After breakfast, Katara went to slip on her suit and he and Jet headed back to their cabin, neither uttering a word. In fact, they stoically ignored each other.

Zuko was the first to finish and quickly ducked out of the cabin. A minute later Jet emerged and they waited in silence for Katara. Thankfully, she appeared soon before he might be forced to talk to Jet. She had slipped her clothes back on over her swimsuit.  
"Ready?" she asked.  
"Yep," Jet answered cheerily. Zuko just nodded. The three headed down towards the lake.

It felt like a long walk to the docks for Zuko. Jet and Katara were chatting pleasantly and by the way Katara kept trying to pull him into the conversation, he could tell she knew something about his and Jet's morning confrontation. It was commendable how she tried to find common ground for the two of them, but Zuko didn't feel too much like small talk (at least, not with Jet).

When at last they reached the docks, he cleared his throat.  
"So," he said, walking up to the locked shed, "The combination is 1761," he explained as he turned the tumbles, "in here is where we keep stuff for swimming like life jackets, kick boards, noodles, etc. and oars for the boats. There is also a first-aid kit on the wall and a landline phone." He stepped aside to let them walk in, not wanting to be crowded in. "The canoes themselves are also locked up, but the code is the same. Just make sure that you scramble the numbers afterwards." He started walking towards the canoe shed and undid the lock. It wasn't so much a shed, as a pole barn with a fence around it. Inside, eight canoes rested in racks.  
"How are we supposed to get them down?" Jet asked.  
"They're pretty light, so just teamwork," Zuko replied. Honestly, it wasn't rocket science. "Just undo the bungee cords and lift them out. After you're done using a canoe, wipe down the hull with a cloth from over there."  
"Cool, thanks dude," Jet grinned and patted Zuko on the arm. Zuko rolled his eyes as he walked out of the canoe shed.

Now it was time for the swimming part. He walked over to the docks and set his towel down before kicking off his shoes.  
"I got this," Jet said, passing Zuko and stripping to his trunks. "So first and foremost, Katara, you need to be able to swim. Do you know how to swim?" Katara laughed and Jet smirked. "It's funny because yesterday, 'Tara was telling me about how she used to be a swim team." Jet explained to him, but Zuko already knew that. He had overheard them, but he wasn't going to say anything. He also wasn't going to say how he hated hearing her little nickname come out of Jet's mouth. "Anyways, you have to swim 300 yards without stopping then tread water for 2 minutes. You also have to swim out 20 yards, dive 7-10 feet and retrieve a 10-pound object, and then swim back on your back all in a minute."  
"It's actually a minute forty," Katara replied.  
"Oh?" Jet said.  
"I remember watching people do this."  
"Ah sweet. So-"  
"You also need to know the proper way to rescue someone." Zuko interjected.  
"Right," Jet said, "I was getting to that. You need to hold them securely when they're on their backs as you swim to shore. How about I swim out a little ways and you can try to rescue me."  
"Okay," she replied and reached for the hem of her shirt. Zuko gulped and looked the other way.

He heard a splash and turned to see Jet swimming out in the water.  
"Are you going to get in Zuko?" Katara asked him, forcing him to look at her. She was wearing a blue two-piece. The top resembled a sports bra (he only knew because Azula would often leave her stuff in the washer) and the bottoms looked more like short-shorts. Strictly speaking, it wasn't that revealing, but it still made Zuko's heart race.  
"Uh…yeah," he said, "I guess so." Before he could say anything else or even take off his shirt, she shoved him into the water.

 **-Katara-**

She waited until he came up to the surface before she started laughing. His surprised splutter quickly transformed into a laugh as well. _Success,_ she thought. She had been trying to think of a way to get him to relax. Of course, there was another voice laughing too. Jet's. Zuko must have realized it the same time she did and his smile faded. She knew Jet wasn't his favorite person, but she hoped they could at least all get along a little.

A moment later, she dove off the docks and into the water. She sighed. It wasn't very hot outside, but the water felt so good.  
"So, rescuing?" she asked as she swam out towards Jet.  
"Right, easy," he replied with a small grin, "Just grab me under the arms and start swimming with me on my back. If I'm unconscious this works the best and if I'm conscious I can try to help you swim. There's also the wrist tow where you pull me along by my wrist."  
"Okay," she said, slightly nervous. She couldn't help but notice how toned he was earlier and in just moments she'll have her arms wrapped around him. A part of her wished it was Zuko, but she quickly shut down that voice. She needed to focus. She swam over to where Jet was.  
"Ready?" he asked. She nodded and his body went limp, turning facedown. She slung her arm around him, turning him over, before gripping him tighter and kicking for shore.

It was tricky, but not too difficult. As soon as she could stand, Jet sprang back to life.  
"Nicely done!" he congratulated her.  
"Thanks!" she replied, grinning. She looked passed him to see Zuko standing on the dock. He started walking towards them. His wet t-shirt clung to his skin in all the right places. _Damn.  
_ "Yeah," he added, "Good work. Since you have so much experience, I'm guessing you'll have no problems with the test. That's probably why Uncle thought you could get it all done today." She smiled shyly at him.  
"Thank you," she said softly. Jet cleared his throat.  
"Yeah Zuko," he said, "How about you go fetch your uncle while I go over some of the finer details?" She saw Zuko's jaw tighten but he just grunted in response and started trudging up the path.

Jet didn't even wait until Zuko was gone to resume conversation.  
"So," he said, smiling, "can you identify the behaviors of a swimmer, distressed swimmer, and an active and passive victim?"  
"You have to try harder Jet," she said tersely. His smile deflated.  
"Sorry? What?" he asked innocently. She gestured her head to where Zuko was walking away. "Oh. Him."  
"Just promise me you'll try harder."  
"Katara the guy is weird. You know that right?"  
"Jet! You've known him for five seconds!" He held up his hands defensively.  
"Okay, okay I'm sorry." He said. Her lips flattened. "I'm serious Katara. I'll try harder."  
"Promise?" she asked.  
"Yes, I promise." Satisfied she nodded once before answering his earlier question. For some reason, she didn't feel like making a pinkie promise with Jet. Deep down, she knew he'd probably break it. She hoped he wouldn't, but the doubt nagged at her.

 **-Zuko-**

Yep. Jet was a dick. Zuko wasn't some errand boy. The only reason he did what Jet asked was that he didn't want to cause a scene, not in front of Katara.

He was still grumbling as he walked into the main lodge.  
"Ah Zuko!" Uncle smiled, looking up from a cluttered table that Ty and Sokka were at, "Done already?"  
"Uh-huh," Zuko replied.  
"Very good, well I will just get my sign off clip board and we can head down." Zuko nodded as his uncle went into the office.  
"Look Zuko!" Ty squealed, holding up a basket.  
"Nice," he replied trying to smile.  
"Yeah?" Sokka said, "Well look at this!"  
"A lanyard?" Zuko asked with a slight chuckle.  
"You can't beat the classics!" Sokka insisted, "I also have sock puppets, paper plate dreamcatchers, rain sticks, and other stuff like marker tie-dye!" Zuko was actually surprised.  
"That's actually pretty sweet dude," he said. Sokka smiled.  
"Oh yes," Uncle said reappearing, "Sokka has apparently been doing some research prior to coming back to camp. He has a lot of great ideas."  
"Well you have some too in your packet thing," Sokka added quickly.  
"Thank you Sokka," Uncle smiled before turning to Zuko, "Ready?" Zuko nodded.  
"See you guys later," he said with a wave as he and Uncle left.

Zuko knew it wouldn't be a quiet walk back. As soon as they were outside Uncle started talking.  
"So, things are still tense between you and Jet then." He stated, "I saw you scowling as you entered." He explained.  
"Yeah, I guess so," Zuko replied, sighing. "I mean the guy is kind of an as-… arrogant jerk."  
"Some people might have said the same thing about you once upon a time," Uncle countered.  
"Uncle!"  
"You know it's true Nephew. _However_ , you have overcome that with true humility." _Yeah…humility…_ Zuko couldn't help himself. He instantly started thinking of ways to humiliate Jet. Obviously, Uncle caught on, "I'm not giving you permission to embarrass the young man, not at all. I think Jet's lessons will come with time. One of these days, life will teach him a lesson and he will learn the error in his ways. Until then, we must assume that he is trying to improve himself and if he gets too far out of line, I will deal with him. But we must try to see the light in everyone. If you look for the light, you can often find it. But if you look for the dark that is all you will ever see. Do you understand Zuko?"  
"Yes Uncle," he replied. As annoying as it could be sometimes, Uncle was very wise.  
"Good," Uncle smiled, "Now tell me, did you laugh when she pushed you into the water?" Yes, Uncle was wise _and_ perceptive.

The rest of the day wasn't nearly as eventful, which was probably a good thing. Katara passed her lifeguard test with flying (or rather swimming) colors and both lunch and dinner went smoothly. He could slowly feel the staffers becoming a family. Zuko was a veteran to the whole summer camp process. He knew the better everyone got along, the better the camp program would be. The black sheep in the family was definitely Jet. Actually… no, the black sheep in the family was probably himself. He knew he was the quietest and he heard Jet call him weird. It wasn't like he cared about the ass-hat's opinion, but it still stung slightly.

Zuko took a deep breath, clearing away the remark. After dinner, there was a free period before a meet up in the main lodge for a discussion of skits and songs. During that time, Zuko had decided to take a hike. He knew the camp like the back of his hand; he wasn't going to get lost.

In the end, he settled for a green clearing. He had lied down near the middle of the field, amidst the grass. It was calming in a way he hadn't expected. It'd been two years since he last worked at the camp, so it'd been two years since he'd been in a place like this. It was a place where he was the only person surrounded by nature. He breathed deeply again, closing his eyes.

An awful warning alarm shattered the silence.  
"Shit!" he hollered in surprise as he sprung up. It was the alarm on his phone. He had set it to go off 10 minutes before they were supposed to meet in the main lodge. He hastily turned off the alarm and pocketed his phone. It'd be a sprint, but he could still make it back in time. He hadn't originally anticipated going this far out, but the run gave him a challenge and he loved a good challenge.

* * *

 **a/n What did you think? I've never written anything like this before, but I hope you are enjoying it. These characters are a lot of fun to work with in the "real world" and I really like writing this fic. Lemme know what you thought in a review please and thanks for reading!**

 **Did anyone catch the LoK quote? ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**a/n I am so sorry for not posting on the 16** **th** **. I have gotten so busy. Life ya know? Hopefully in a week, things will be calmer and I can get back on track with this story. Thank you so much for your continual support.**

 **Happy Thanksgiving to all those in the USA!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own AtLA, but it is on my wish list. If someone wants to buy me the rights… ;)**

* * *

~Chapter 7~

 **-Katara-**

The sun's orange light could still be seen glowing through the trees. _Where is he?_ She wondered. Jet had been chatting away, but she was slightly distracted worrying about Zuko. She didn't really want to worry about him, but she couldn't help herself. It was evident that even after ten years she still cared for him. The extent to which she cared had yet to be determined.

Everyone else was in the main lodge, sitting at the dinner table, when Zuko strolled through the door.  
"Ah Zuko!" Iroh said, smiling, "so glad you could join us." Zuko nodded, trying to catch his breath. She could tell he must have run from wherever he came from. His chest moved rapidly as he breathed and there was a sheen of sweat on his brow.

Self-consciously, he ran two hands through his hair as he took his usual spot across from her. She smiled kindly at him when he caught her gaze.  
"So the campers will be here in five days." Iroh announced, "That night they arrive, Sunday, we're going to have a large campfire to welcome them. Now the only song that we have to sing is our camp song. Does anyone from the returning staff care to demonstrate?" Sokka's hand shot up into the air. "Go ahead Sokka."  
"Ready?" he asked around the table with a grin before he started to 'sing' (it was closer to rapping though).

Camp, Camp, Camp Kyoshi  
Set on the great Lake Unagi  
Camp, Camp, Camp Kyoshi  
Set back in the tall trees

At Camp, Camp, Camp Kyoshi  
There are so many things to see  
At Camp, Camp, Camp Kyoshi  
Where safety and fun is key

At Camp, Camp, Camp Kyoshi  
I'm allowed to be the real me  
Camp, Camp, Camp Kyoshi  
Is the place that I can feel free

Oh Camp, Camp, Camp Kyoshi  
Protected by the great Unagi  
Only at camp, Camp Kyoshi"

When Sokka finished everybody was silent for a second before Ty started clapping enthusiastically, then everyone joined in. Sokka sure knew how to make things dramatic. The song might have been silly, but it was catchy.  
"Nicely done Sokka," Iroh laughed heartily. "I can hardly believe you remembered that from last summer." Sokka grinned.  
"Wow, dude," Jet said laughing and shaking his head.  
"As Sokka so wonderfully demonstrated," Iroh said, still chuckling mildly, "that is our camp song. We also like to sing some classic camp songs. Here in this folder are some of the usual skits and songs we can perform." Iroh took out a folder and passed around small packets of papers.

The rest of the meeting was spent laughing and singing. Everything was just wrapping up with Iroh made a final announcement.  
"If you noticed on your packing lists, formal wear was suggested for the first time. At the very end of camp after the campers leave, in just under three weeks, there will be an end of camp party." Iroh declared. Ty squealed, "Last year we had a little potluck for friends and family since it is the last day of camp, but this year we're going to make it a little more… more. There'll be some small things for your families to do, leftover crafts…maybe a bouncy castle. There will also be free food and music, dancing if you're so inclined. Also… If you want to, you can participate in a talent show. The winner will receive a $50 MasterCard gift card."  
"Ooh," was the general buzz around the table.  
"Yes, exactly," he said, smiling, "We'll be running electricity out to the amphitheater so there can be speakers. So if you want to tell jokes, sing, whatever works. Just remember that all of the performances must be G rated. With family coming, there could still be some little kids in the audience. Of course, you are not obligated to perform. After the talent show, everyone will retire to the main lodge." A growing murmur spread around the table, mumbled ideas for performances. "Now before we can have our little party, we will be having a little program for the parents of campers. The campers will do the skits and songs they've learned and show off anything they've made. Sound good?"  
"Sounds awesome!" Sokka replied with a huge grin on his face.  
"I'm glad you think so," Iroh said, "With that, I wish you all a nice night. Breakfast will be served 8am tomorrow to ease you into getting up early. We will also be hiking up to the natural rock face so wear your hiking boots. You'll lock up, Suki?"  
"Yep," she replied, cheerfully.  
"Thank you. Goodnight," he said as he stood and made his way to the back door.  
"Goodnight," everyone chorused back.

 **-Zuko-**

"Now what?" Jet asked after Uncle had left. Sokka shrugged.  
"We could play Twister!" Ty suggested.  
"Uhm…I think I'll pass on Twister," Suki replied.  
"Yeah," agreed Jet, "I don't think anyone wants to play Twister right now." If the rest of the night was just going to be Jet talking, Zuko was considering bailing. Then he heard his name, "Zuko," Jet called.  
"Yeah?" he replied.  
"What's upstairs?" Jet asked. The lodge was two stories, three if you counted the large attic.  
"It used to be where a caretaker would live. There's a bedroom and stuff, but it's mainly used for storage now. Why?"  
"Where are the stairs? I don't see them. Can we go up there?"  
"Why?" he asked again. He didn't have a good feeling about it.  
"Call it curiosity," Jet said pursing his lips.  
"Where's the harm Zuko?" Sokka added, "We just want to look."  
"See," Jet said, his smile returning, "Katara, what do you think?" Zuko looked across at Katara who shifted slightly in her seat.  
"I mean, it'd be cool to see," she replied. That sealed it for him and from the way Jet was smirking, he knew it too.  
"Okay." He acquiesced and stood. Everyone else stood too. "Suki, can I have the keys my uncle gave you?" She nodded, reached into her pocket, and plucked out a key ring with five keys on it.  
"You had the keys this whole time?" Jet asked.  
"Well, yeah, but I didn't really care about going upstairs." She replied, shrugging.

No longer listening to them, Zuko walked towards a nondescript door by Uncle's office. He slid in the key and unlocked the door.  
"Coming?" he asked, turning behind him. Everyone was soon by his side and he started climbing the wooden steps.

There was a musky smell from disuse. Everything seemed covered in a layer of dust. As Zuko moved into the space, all sorts of memories came surging back. It had been a while since he'd been up here.

He was 13. It was his second summer at the camp, and 10 months after the accident. He'd arrived at the camp a week before everyone else. He hadn't been sure if he'd be able to work the camp. His eye still bothered him sometimes and he had a lot of pent of anger over his father and just his life in general. The week alone with Uncle had been his mother's idea, but looking back, he was grateful.

Uncle had, surprisingly, helped him learn the Northern Shaolin Kung Fu style. The few defense schools that taught the style wouldn't accept him as a normal student. Assholes. Uncle somehow always treated him the same. As much as his mom loved him, her pity and tenderness was not what he needed. That wasn't who he was. He was a fighter.

Being with Uncle wasn't an instant transformative experience, but it did help. Zuko was angry for so long. He was angry with his so-called father bailing on him, but Uncle reassured him that his father would have happened at some point, no matter what. Oddly, that helped even though deep down, Zuko blamed himself for the car crash. He should have done something. Stopped his father from drinking or maybe not have gotten in the car.

When he walked down the hallway to the bedroom, he stopped, remembering once waking up in a cold sweat from a nightmare. His heart had been pounding in his ears as he tried to calm himself. He remembered stumbling downstairs to find his uncle with a hot cup of tea already waiting for him.

He smiled faintly to himself. Katara must have caught it.  
"How old were you when you stayed here?" she asked softly, coming to stand next to him.  
"Still thirteen," he replied on a breath. "It was almost a year after the…accident."  
"So young," she said so quietly he wasn't sure he was supposed to hear it. She gave him a small smile before stepping away, rejoining the others.

He had been young. Returning to school that fall had been hell. No one treated him the same. He was also angry, so angry at everyone. He got into a few fights and had been suspended. It was why he was a grade behind. He'd be 18 at the end of August and should've graduated already. (But hey, it put him in the same grade as Katara…)

Down the hallway, in the main room, he could hear Jet's voice growing louder.  
"Pretty sweet up here actually," Jet said as he approached. "Sure it's dusty and all, but still. What's in here?" Behind him, Sokka and Suki peeked into the room.  
"Ah," Sokka said, "Here's the bedroom."  
"Yep," Zuko said, "That's about all of it. Let's go back down now." He was actually getting pretty tired. Having his early morning Tai Chi cut off had not been the best way to start the day. The hike up to the field had helped him release the stress that had built up over the day, but now he was just tired.

When they got downstairs, he started trudging for the doors.  
"Are you leaving?" Katara asked. He turned to face her.  
"Yeah," he replied, "I'm going to go to bed." _Unless you want me to stay…  
_ "Okay, well I'll see you tomorrow I guess." She said with a small smile.  
"Uh-huh," he nodded, "goodnight."  
"Goodnight," everyone replied. With that, he turned back to the door. Before he could exit, he heard Jet speak.  
"Hey, Katara?" Jet asked, "Do you want to go for a walk?" He didn't dare turn back around.  
"Uh…" she said hesitantly. Zuko couldn't help but hold his breath. "Sure," she finally replied, "Why not?" Zuko's jaw tightened and he quickened his pace. Soon he was out the door. It was stupid. _I'm not jealous._ He thought, trying hard to believe his own words.

 **-Katara-**

She had taken one last look at Zuko before agreeing to take a walk with Jet. She felt a twinge of guilt, but she wasn't sure why.

Jet's face brightened upon hearing her words.  
"Awesome!" he smiled, "Do you want to leave now?"  
"In a minute," she replied. She wanted to wait until Zuko was back in his cabin. _Wait. What._ Why did that concern her? She sighed slightly. She felt so confused, so confused she didn't even know why she was confused. Granted, seeing Zuko again had been a shock, but shouldn't she be over that by now?

Sokka, Suki, and Ty kept chatting along. After a few minutes, Jet stood.  
"Ready?" he asked her.  
"Sure," she replied, standing as well.  
"Just make sure you're up by 8 tomorrow," Sokka reminded her. She rolled her eyes good-naturedly.  
"Yes, Sokka," she said, "I will. G'night!"  
"Bye!" Ty chipped.

Zuko must have returned to his cabin, because she didn't see him out there. The moon had risen over the tree line, washing out the landscape in tones of white and grey.  
"It's so nice out," she said, surprised Jet hadn't started talking yet.  
"Yeah it is," he agreed instantly. "Although…it's different from where I grew up, that's for sure."  
"Near… Gaypon?"  
"Gaipan," Jet corrected, "You were close."  
"How is it different?" she asked as they walked down towards the lake.  
"Well…the trees are different." She laughed lightly, which made him smile, "Yeah the trees where I come from are deciduous. It was always quite the scene in the fall when all the leaves changed color and fell." She smiled.  
"What else?"  
"There was a decent sized river that ran nearby." He described, "Upstream there was a small waterfall. If you followed the river further, there was a little lake."  
"That must have been nice," she commented.  
"Yeah, it was," he said thoughtfully, his voice drifting off. "I went up there more after my parents died."  
"Oh that's right, I'm so sorry, Jet," she replied, stopping to put her hand on his arms. She'd forgotten that detail momentarily.  
"It's all right," he said, offering a small reassuring smile and they resumed walking.

They remained silent as they approached the lake, stopping by the water's edge. The growing moon could be seen reflecting in the water. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The surround seemed like the very definition of peace and tranquility. When she opened her eyes, she saw Jet staring at her. She felt her cheeks redden.  
"Sorry," she murmured. He smiled.  
"For what?" he asked, "You looked so at home just now." She'd always been a bit of a night owl, so she was in her element. She shrugged, still a little embarrassed. "It just," he went on, "it took me a long time for me to feel at home again, so it's nice to see that in others."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I guess I didn't tell you…my parents died in a house fire."  
"That's awful!" she gasped. He nodded sadly.  
"I was in the house too, at the time," he said, "but I got out all right." He turned to stare at the water before he continued, "I remember the smoke and the heat. When I got out there were so many people standing around, trying to help I guess. It was so confusing. All I really know is my parents never made it out of the house." She just stared at him, unsure what to do and what to say. "Afterwards, I bounced around with some neighbors for a while because I had no family left. One night I ran off to Gaipan and never looked back."  
"How old were you?" she asked softly.  
"I was eight when my parents died."  
"So young," she commented quietly.  
"It was definitely rough at times. Sometimes I lived on the streets and…" he looked back over at her, "I'm going to be honest, I did what I had to, to survive. Eventually, I got caught and put in the foster care system. Some houses were better than others, but none of them worked out for long. I ended up living in a group home because I was a 'problem child.'" He made the air quotes with his fingers, "It wasn't all that bad. I got to go to school and stuff. When I aged out last year, I found out that my parents had left me some money. I got a tiny apartment and started working two jobs. It wasn't a lot of money, but if I work hard and save up, I might be able to take a few college classes next year. That's the dream anyways."

 _Wow._ It seemed like Jet had to struggle so hard to get anywhere, yet he kept on fighting. His story made her reconsider all the things she took for granted growing up, even something as simple as a home. She felt a little guilty for how she'd treated him. Jet had a really tough life. Didn't he get a pass on being a jerk now and then?

 **-Zuko-**

The sun seemed to call to him. He didn't really want to get up though. Getting up meant spending a day hiking with Jet. Zuko was trying to get along with Jet. He really was, but Jet made it so hard sometimes. It seemed like the dude was trying to pull Katara to 'his side' and flaunting it in Zuko's face.

He sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. It would be a long day. He swung his legs over and sat up (or as best he could on a bottom bunk).  
"Going to be a fun day, huh Zuko?" Jet said suddenly from the corner table, making Zuko jump and hitting his head on the bunk.  
"Yeah, sure," Zuko grumbled, rubbing his head.  
"You have a girlfriend?" Jet asked him.  
"Uh, no. Why?" _What is this guy's deal?_ He thought.  
"No reason," Jet said with a shrug as he stood and started heading towards the door. Zuko glared at him.  
"What about you then?" Zuko asked before he could leave, "You have a girlfriend?"  
"Yeah, I do actually," Jet replied with a smirk, "but isn't she fine?" Jet winked and walked out.

Zuko's blood boiled. It was only the third day and he already wanted to kick Jet's ass. He was so done and there was still 18 days to go.

* * *

 **a/n Well... we got to learn a bit more about Jet. Personally, I think he does need his ass kicked. Thoughts? Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n I'm baaaccckkk. Finally. Geeze. I've been ridiculously busy and it doesn't help that I've gotten completely addicted to a show on Hulu.**

 **Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! I value everyone I get, so thank you for the feedback! They also help motivate me, since obviously I've been slacking off. This chapter is extra-long for your reading pleasure** **AND we get Jet's POV!**

 **Disclaimer: Nah**

* * *

~Chapter 8~

 **-Zuko-**

He was forced to bring up the rear of the group in case 'anyone got lost' Uncle had said. As he hiked, he glared into the back of Jet's head. That prick was chumming it up with everyone, especially Katara. Zuko wasn't sure what he should do. If she did like Jet, by telling her Jet already had a girlfriend, Zuko would hurt her. But if she didn't like Jet and was just being nice because she had to work with him, telling her would be pointless. Jet might also then accuse Zuko of lying or being a tattletale or some other bull.

All he knew for sure: he didn't want to see Katara getting hurt, especially by a jerk like Jet. But by trying to protect her, he might end up hurting her. His stomach twisted at the thought of hurting her. Yet, it wasn't his fault if Jet -was an unfaithful douchebag. Then again, he didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. Wasn't it always the messenger who got shot? Either way, he was screwed.

The indecision swirled in his head and he didn't notice the group stop until he ran into the back of Jet.  
"Hey," Jet said grumpily, "We stopped."  
"Thanks," Zuko grumbled. _Ass-hat.  
_ "I am not as young as I used to be," Uncle said with a chuckle as he took a seat on the ground. "Let's rest here a moment." Although that may have been technically true, Zuko knew Uncle could have charged up the trail without ever pausing. The guy was like a bull. _But then again aren't bulls reckless sometimes?_ Uncle was far from losing his head. _He's more like a dragon_ Zuko decided. _He's inspirational, benevolent, eccentric, fiery when provoked, and sometimes a tad unrealistic._ Yep, Uncle was definitely a dragon.

While they rested, Jet walked over to talk to Ty, leaving Katara seated next to Zuko. He wasn't sure why Jet had done that, testing him maybe. He glanced over at Jet, who then smirked slightly. _Prick.  
_ "So…" Katara said, not noticing the exchange, "Do you think you'll preform in the talent show?" It took him a second to catch on to what she was talking about.  
"I don't know," he shrugged, "probably not." What was his talent? Not really getting over a girl he'd last seen a decade ago? "What about you?" he asked, redirecting the question.  
"I'm not sure yet," she replied.  
"If you did enter, what would you want to do?" he asked, "If I recall, you used to have pretty good aim with a snowball." She laughed.  
"Well, it's the middle of summer, so…snow might be in short supply." _Duh.  
_ "Oh right," he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. They others were chatting pleasantly. Jet kept glancing back at them. _Now what?_ Zuko asked himself, _Do I tell her?_ He opened his mouth to say something when Uncle clapped and stood.  
"We should probably be getting back on the trail now," Uncle announced. _Perfect timing_ Zuko thought sarcastically. Jet walked back to Katara.  
"Ready?" Jet asked her.  
"Yep," she replied cheerily and took his proffered hand. Jet smirked at Zuko as he pulled her to her feet. "Coming, Zuko?" she asked when she realized he hadn't gotten to his feet yet.  
"Yeah," he said warily. The rest of the hike continued without any more rests, but a few more smirks from Jet. _Ass._

 **-Jet-**

The hike was going better than expected. He walked with her the entire time. It seemed like after telling her his sob story last night, she finally let her walls down. She wasn't as guarded anymore and seemed to relax around him. It was more than he could ever hope for. He'd told that nosy bastard yesterday the truth when he said he already had a girlfriend. Thinking back, he probably shouldn't have done that, but he relished the look on Zuko's face.

Jet was a real man, a free man. He could do whatever or whoever he wanted to. He knew he was good looking and could pull off that tortured gaze the ladies seemed to love, without carrying around ugly proof of his tragedy. Honestly, Zuko was hideous. They might have been each other's childhood crush, but couldn't she see how much he'd changed? Jet seriously doubted the guy had ever had an actual girlfriend. Who'd want to be with him?

The rest of the staff was okay. Ty must have a screw loose because she was off the charts crazy. She was always bouncing off the walls with excitement and grinning. Seriously, did she own clothes in a color besides pink? Suki was a tight ass. He tried to keep his interactions with her to a minimum. He sensed she'd see through his shit and he couldn't have that. Luckily for him, she seemed a little preoccupied with Sokka. Sokka had to be the most obtuse person Jet had ever met. There was some slight distrust still, but Sokka could be easily distracted; he wasn't going to be a problem. As for Iroh the "camp director," the old-timer had the unfortunate affliction of seeing/believing the best in people. _What a sucker._

They were all so dull, only Katara provided some entertainment. Only she could distract him. He channeled all his attention into her, into obtaining her. He knew how to be charming; he'd relied on it a time or two to get by. Also, since he was focused on her, he absorbed everything she told him. Every fact that might come in handy was catalogued away.

By late morning, they finally reached the stupid rock face. It wasn't that impressive, but he acted excited when Katara did.  
"If you guys want to take a breather before we begin," the old goat suggested. Apparently, they would all be learning how to belay each other and shit. _At least_ , Jet thought, _I'll be able to show off my climbing skills._ He had practically lived in the trees as a boy; surely, rock climbing was no different.

As he kept Katara engaged, he glanced over at Zuko who was glaring at him intermittently. Jet smiled once at him and he watched his jaw clench once before looking away. _Success_ Jet thought. After the Tai Chi incident, Jet was smart enough not to provoke Zuko too obviously. The old bat wasn't as blind as Jet had originally thought. He couldn't risk getting kicked out. He could use the money and free food. _Nah._ He grinned at the ridiculous thought. Who was he kidding? He could beg, borrow, or steal what he needed. Always had before.

Unfortunately, Katara caught his smile.  
"What's so funny?" she asked.  
"I was just thinking about climbing trees when I was younger," he replied smoothly. It wasn't exactly a lie (not that lying bothered him).  
"Oh?" she smiled, probably trying to imagine him as a kid.  
"Yeah, I learned the hard way what type and size of branch could hold my weight." He rolled up his left sleeve, showing her the small scar on his forearm. She put her small hands on his arm to see better. Her touch thrilled him in the best kind of way.  
"Ouch. That must've hurt." She frowned before quickly removing her hands. Pity. He was about to say something when Iroh started talking. Jet sighed and tried to pay attention.

It wasn't very interesting, just safety rules for rock climbing. Lame. Zuko had to demonstrate how to handle the rope. It took all of Jet's willpower not to snicker.  
"Right, now who's ready to pair up and start climbing?" Iroh asked once he was finally done talking.  
"Let's do this!" Sokka cheered, jumping to his feet with Suki in close second. The old man chuckled.  
"I appreciate your enthusiasm," Iroh said, "but I get to pick your partners." Jet's eyes locked with Zuko at the same moment, coming to the same horrible realization. The coot was going to pair them out, undoubtedly. _Shit._

 **-Zuko-**

Sure enough, Uncle had paired him with Jet. Unbelievable. From the moment Zuko saw Jet step into his harness, he knew the dude had never climbed before. He also knew the guy wouldn't except help (not the Zuko really wanted to help him out).

They didn't say anything to each other as they readied their harnesses and ropes.

Zuko was about to click into the carabineer when Jet wacked him with the back of his hand.  
"I'm going first," Jet said authoritatively.  
"Whatever," Zuko grunted in reply before stepping back. The top of the rock side was around 50 feet up. They had also been given the toughest track up. There was no way a newbie like Jet could make it up to the top on the first go.  
"Remember," Uncle said, "You have to trust your belayer. Your life rests in their hands." _Great,_ Zuko thought. "You also have to trust your rope. That's why we keep all of our equipment safely stored and inspect them before putting them away. We don't want any accidents." Everyone nodded and Jet started climbing.  
"You're supposed to give me a signal," Zuko muttered as he adjusted the rope.

The first few inches went fairly successfully for Jet. Then Katara and Ty started out climbing him. Zuko watched as Jet struggled. The dude was attacking the wall instead of working with it. He wasn't planning ahead his next foothold or handhold. It was only a matter of time before he got stuck. Sure enough…  
"Not stuck are you?" Zuko called up.  
"Fu- no," Jet replied through gritted teeth, "I'm fine."  
"Woo!" Ty cried two ropes over, having just reached the top.  
"Yay!" cheered Sokka, "Good work Ty!"

Soon Ty was back on the ground and Jet still hadn't moved much.  
"There's a good foothold to your right a little," Sokka suggested as he assessed Jet's position.  
"Thanks," Jet replied tersely. He tried to stretch out and his foot made contact. _He doesn't have a firm enough footing,_ Zuko thought. He saw the writing on the wall and prepared to catch the jerk. Sure enough, when Jet went to place his weight on it, his foot slipped and he fell off the wall.  
"SHIIITT!" Jet screeched as he started flailing. The rope quickly became taut and Zuko caught his sorry ass with a grunt.

Jet's arms were spinning like pinwheels and he started swinging back and forth. If he swung too much, he'd smash against the rock and it would definitely hurt.  
"Calm down Jet," Uncle instructed, "It's okay. Make an 'L' with your body. Walk down the wall."  
"Like this," Katara said, having been lowered to Jet's level. Jet's thrashing eased slightly.  
"Jet, just watch Katara," Suki suggested as she adjusted Katara's ropes. Jet nodded and tried to right his body like Katara's.  
"Good, very good Jet," Uncle encouraged. Slowly, but surely, Jet made his way down the wall (not that he'd gotten very far up in the first place).

Katara smoothly finished her decent. Then with a thump, Jet landed awkwardly beside her, almost falling over.  
"Are you okay?" Uncle asked him, coming closer to inspect Jet for injuries.  
"I'm fine," Jet snapped back. Clearly, his pride was the only thing bruised. Uncle nodded knowingly and let Jet storm off. Katara moved to go after him but Uncle stopped her.  
"I think he needs a minute," Uncle said kindly. Katara nodded.

This left them shy a partner for climbing, but Zuko didn't really mind; he'd climbed the wall many times before. He watched as Katara belayed Suki. Her expression was full of the same determination it had when she herself was climbing. Every movement she made moving the ropes was deliberate. Her watchful blue eyes remained glued to Suki, looking for any sign of trouble. Zuko knew if she had been given the time, she would have easily made it to the top of her run. She was almost at the top when Jet slipped and she came down to help. She was so kind and good, too good for Jet. _And too good for me_ Zuko thought forlornly. He sighed. He should tell her, let her know the kind of guy Jet really was. Wasn't honesty the best policy? That's seemed like something Uncle would say. Maybe he could talk to her after lunch or something, when they were alone.

 **-Katara-**

She didn't care that she didn't reach the top of the climbing rock. She was just worried about Jet. What if he was actually injured, but too prideful to admit it?

When they finished climbing, they started the hike back. She sensed Zuko wanted to talk to her, but he held his tongue, which she was grateful for. She didn't really feel like talking.

As she hiked, she thought. She felt bad for kind of ignoring Zuko, but she knew he didn't take it personally (at least she hoped he didn't). When they were kids, he was always there for her, someone to talk to, laugh with, or just be with. No matter what was going on with her, he was there. She was too young at the time to appreciate that. Also, at the time the most turbulent things that happened to her then were the occasionally spat her parents got into or the brief time she was bullied at school. It wasn't until a few years after he moved away that she learned what real pain was. She really could have used someone like him then, someone resilient.

Maybe she should talk to Zuko. She glanced up and saw him chatting with Ty. Her heart sank. She wasn't jealous. That'd be stupid. She was still trying to work out her own feelings and how Jet and Zuko fit into everything.

The rest of the hike went by in a blur. She wasn't really thinking about much of anything anymore.

Jet was waiting for them when they walked into the main lodge.  
"Hey," he said with a small smile as he stood from his seat on the table and approached her.  
"Hey," she replied.  
"Do you want to take a walk?" he asked. She hesitated. "Please?" Sincerity radiated off him.  
"Lunch will be ready in an hour," Iroh announced as he headed towards the kitchen with Suki in toe.  
"Okay," Katara agreed. She turned and started back towards the door just after catching Jet's face brighten.

Just like they had the previous night, they headed for the lakeside, saying nothing on the walk. It wasn't until they stood at the water's edge did she speak.  
"You okay?" she asked.  
"I thought it'd be like tree climbing," he replied.  
"Huh?" she asked slightly confused.  
"I thought rock climbing would be like tree climbing," Jet explained with a sigh. She bit her lip to stop from smiling.  
"Why would you think that?" she asked, still biting her lip.  
"I don't know!" he said exasperatedly, but started smiling just the same.  
"I'm sorry," she said, trying to adopt a serious expression, but failing. He gave her a small smile.  
"It's okay. Go ahead and say it."  
"You're such a dork," she said and nudged his shoulder playfully. He grinned.  
"I guess I am," he agreed. She decided then that when he was a little shy and a little less proud, he was kind of adorable.

The rest of the day was fun. She was really starting to feel at home at Camp Kyoshi. There was some lingering tension between Zuko and Jet, but both guys seemed to ignore each other for the most part. She knew it wasn't a long time fix though. Whatever rift between them needed to be resolved before the campers came. They all needed to work together. Iroh must have realized the same thing because after dinner he made an announcement.  
"As per your packing list, you should have each brought camouflage clothes. Right?" Iroh asked the table. Everyone nodded. "Good, because tonight we're going to have a little game. Offense team will have to sneak across the camp from the amphitheater to the docks without being caught by members of the defense team. Defense will have flashlights and if you get caught in their beams, you're out and join their team. The game ends if everyone is on the searching team or everyone in the offense team gets to the docks. For safety, a few lights will be left on in here and all staffers should carry their cellphones so no one gets lost. Questions?" Ty's hand shot up.  
"Do we get to choose our team?" she asked.  
"No," he replied, "Your teams have been chosen randomly. If you would all turn over your plate…" Katara turned over her plate and saw a piece of paper taped to the bottom. It read 'offense.' "If you could now show everyone your plate so we know who is on which team." She glanced up. Zuko also got offense. Ty, Suki, and Sokka held up their plates with the word 'defense' on them. This meant… she turned to see Jet's plate. Offense. _Well, this will be interesting_ , she thought.

"The game will start once it's completely dark outside," Iroh continued. "We'll meet in the amphitheater. Now, if we're all done eating, will you help with the dishes Nephew?" Zuko nodded and stood. She probably wouldn't get a chance to talk to him until later, during the game. It was going to be a long night.

 **-Zuko-**

He wasn't so convinced their teams were chosen randomly. What were the odds that he'd have Katara _and_ Jet on his team? He knew that Jet was competitive, so hopefully they could pull together as a team… _Yeah, right_ , he thought. He forgot to factor in the fact that Jet was a giant ass.

He really, really needed to tell Katara what Jet had told him. Seriously, if they guy already had a girlfriend he needed to back off. Zuko knew Katara would somehow blame herself if Jet cheated on this mystery girl. Maybe tonight he'd have an opportunity to tell her…

When he stepped out of his cabin, dressed in camo, it was already pitch black out. The moon hadn't risen yet, so he used the flashlight in his phone to find his way to the amphitheater. In actuality, he probably could walk the entire camp blindfolded, but he didn't want to test that theory.

Everyone else was already there. Zuko had waited for Jet to emerge from their cabin already changed before heading in himself.  
"Perfect," Uncle smiled, his face illuminated by a small fire. "Now, this game relies on the honor system. If you get caught by a flashlight beam," Uncle looked over at the offense team, "be honest and join the other team. Two members of the defending team will give the offense team a 30-second head start. The other member of the defending team can start walking now. Seem fair?"  
"I'll go," Ty volunteered, "See ya!" she cried as she started skipping away.  
"Very good," Uncle continued, "Now, I will be in the main lodge should I be needed. After the game is over, please regroup in the lodge. After this game is finished, we'll switch sides and go again. You can all do whatever afterwards. Personally, I'll be asleep, but you're welcome to keep playing. If you want to choose new teams or whatever, go for it. Are we ready?"  
"Yeah!" they all cried.  
"Offense team starts in…5," Zuko planted his feet, ready to run, "4…" he glanced over at Katara who gave him the briefest of smiles, "3…" he glanced over at Jet who sneered. _Whatever._ "2…1." They took off, charging into the night.

It was really hard to see at first, but his eyes adjusted. They were all smart enough to run into the woods, instead of sticking to the main path. His feet pounded into the forest floor, kicking up old pine needles in his wake.  
"We can just outrun them," Jet puffed as he ran a few feet ahead of Zuko.  
"Won't work," Zuko replied, swatting at a branch. "We should lay low, let Suki and Sokka pass."  
"Katara?" Jet asked. There was no reply. Jet stopped abruptly. "Katara!" he hissed. Nothing. "You lost her already!" Jet accused, getting up in Zuko's face.  
"Back off man! She was right beside me," he replied, fists balling, "Why is this my fault?"  
"Because-Shit!" Jet's words were cut off by the light of a flashlight nearby. Zuko didn't stick around long enough to learn what Jet was going to say. He booked it out of there.

From what he could hear, it sounded like Jet may have gotten caught, making it four against two. He really needed to find Katara. Where would she have gone? He didn't think she was aggressive enough to try and head straight for the docks. Plus, Ty was somewhere already, probably somewhere patrolling the main road. That's when he noticed some snapped twigs to his right. It had to be from Katara.

He used his mediocre tracking skills to follow the trail. He was feeling pretty good about finding her when his trail disappeared. _Shit._ He turned in circles in frustration, looking for more evidence. A bush to his left rustled and he turned instantly in its direction.  
"Zuko?" someone asked in a whisper. Success! He joined her, crouching behind the bush.  
"Hey," he said, slightly out of breath. His heart was racing and not just from running.  
"Hi," she replied. She was so close he could see her shining eyes even in the darkness. She'd pulled her hair back, but he could see a few old pine needles in it. He couldn't help but think she was beautiful. "Where's Jet?" she asked and Zuko's chest deflated.  
"I don't know," he said, "I think he might have gotten caught."  
"Oh," was all she said. It was now or never.  
"I actually wanted to talk to you… about Jet."  
"Zuko… now's not the time."  
"But I need to tell you something."  
"What him?" she asked, sounding guarded, "I thought you two were cool now. He's had a rough day Zuko. If he's said something stupid just chalk it up to a lousy day and let it go."  
"Katara, just believe me when I tell you, he's bad news." He paused slightly, "I don't want to see you getting hurt."  
"I'm not six anymore Zuko. You don't need to protect me from Big Zhao. Jet has only been nice to me." _Of course, he's been nice to you!_ he shouted in his head, exasperated by her response.  
"That's because he wants in your pants!" he hissed.  
"Zuko!" She said shocked, her voice rising, "That's not true. Why are you so intent on hating him?" _Shit._ This was not going to plan.  
"Katara, please listen," he implored, "Jet's got a-"  
"You know what?" she said interrupting him, "I don't care. I don't need to hear this." With that, she stormed off.

* * *

 **a/n Thank you for reading! What did you think about Jet's POV? Was it what you were expecting? I thought it was needed to show what Jet really thinks about camp.  
So we did get some small Zutara moments, but they didn't really go very well, did they? Lemme hear your thoughts in a review. Thanks again!**


	9. Chapter 9

**a/n  
** **HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope all of my awesome readers are having an equally awesome new year's eve.**

 **The reason I haven't posted sooner is because…I've officially become a snot machine. I have been sick on two separate occasions this holiday season and I'm thoroughly sick of being sick. Yuck.**

 **Hopefully you are all well and enjoying the holidays. Without further delay…  
** **Disclaimer: Sadly, no**

* * *

~Chapter 9~

 **-Zuko-**

She'd disappeared into the dark and just like that, his night had turned to shit. She hadn't given him a chance to explain. It wasn't that he hated Jet for no reason. The guy was a manipulative two-faced bastard and Zuko was just trying to spare Katara from finding out the hard way, but it had all blown up in his face. She had stormed off before he could tell her the most important thing he'd learned about Jet. While Jet was buddying up with everyone, he already had a girlfriend. Now, maybe it was nothing and Zuko was being overprotective, but that seemed like a pretty important detail.

After that, their little game of sneaking across camp seemed trivial. He was really quite done with it all and drained. He just wanted to go to bed. No…what he really wanted to do was talk to Katara, but right now she probably wouldn't listen to a word he had to say.

He sighed heavily as he trudged back to his cabin, not caring about who won the game. He sent a quick text to Uncle, letting him know he was out of the game.

 **Zuko: Don't feel good. I'm going to bed.  
** **Uncle: Okay, I'll tell the others. Get some rest.** _I'll try_ Zuko thought.

He felt like crap. He just wanted the oblivion sleep provided.

Sleep did not prove a haven though. His dreams, or rather nightmares, plagued him. They started innocent enough…

He was in a grassy field. Next to him, Katara lay on her back. He looked over at her, noticing how the warm summer breeze played with the tips of her hair. He memorized the silhouette of her face, watching her eyes sparkle with amusement as she stared up at the sky. He couldn't help but think she looked beautiful.  
"What are you staring at?" she asked him, turning her head.  
"Nothing," he lied quickly, feeling his ears turn pink. She raised a skeptical eyebrow, "I…uh…er…" While he was trying to think what to say next, she started laughing. It wasn't her tinkling melodious laugh either. It was mocking, cruel. _What?_

The grassy scene vanished beneath him and he was falling. Laughter echoed around him and images of Jet danced in front of him.  
"She's mine," he sneered, draping his arm over Katara's shoulders. "She's mine now." The last word echoed, harsher each time until it was a command.  
"Now! Get in the car! Now Zuko!" his father yelled, standing by the driver's door of his old red Nissan. Zuko hesitated.  
"Please, Father. You're drunk you-" he stammered before he was cut off.  
"So I'm a drunk am I?" his father raged, "Is that the bullshit your mother has been telling you?" Zuko didn't want to be afraid of his father's fury, but he was. He'd seen what those fists could do.  
"I-I…I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect Father." His father staggered around the car until he stood in front of Zuko. He reeked up whiskey and cigarettes.  
"You will learn respect," he seethed, inches away. He raised his hand and Zuko flinched. "That's what I thought," he huffed. "Now," his words were slow and slurred but laced with furry, "Get in the fucking car." Zuko had no choice. He obeyed.

One moment their car was hurdling down the road, the next it was in the air before crashing. The force of the impact had knocked him out. When he came to, he kept his eyes closed. The suffocating smoke scratched at his lungs. He couldn't breathe. There was excruciating pain in his arm. It was worse than being stung by a thousand of bees at once. It was far worse than anything he could have imagined. He tried to open his eyes and see how to get out, but only one responded. In fact, part of the left side of his face felt numb. _Numb…fire…_ His cloudy brain tried to unravel why numb seemed bad. _Nerve endings_ he remembered instantly. That's when he started struggling in earnest. He knew the car would soon begin filling with fire. However, the heat and the smoke and the pain became too much and he drifted out of consciousness again.

Suddenly, he awoke in the hospital. Someone handed him a mirror. When he looked, the face staring back didn't belong to him, but Jet.

"No!" he shouted and lurched awake. Forgetting where he was, he sat up quickly and banged his head on the bunk above him. "Shit," he hissed, squeezing his eyes shut to dull the pain. With his eyes closed, he concentrated on breathing deeply. His heart pounded in his chest. His t-shirt was soaked with sweat. He dragged his hands over his face, trying to erase the nightmare. With a jolt, he dug his phone out from inside his pillowcase. Flipping on the front-facing camera he quickly pointed it at his scarred face. His fingers glided gently over the rugged flesh. He had regained most of the feeling back after a lengthy recovery, but the scar refused to fade. He was used to how it looked by now, but that night it seemed particularly nasty. It remained as a constant reminder of his failure, at least that's what he told himself for a while after the accident.

He collapsed back against his pillow, still breathing deeply. _Fuck,_ he swore to himself. It had been a while since he had a nightmare that bad. He craned his neck to see Sokka sleeping soundly. Jet's curtain made it impossible to tell if he was in bed or not. _Whatever._ He checked the time on his phone. It was barely four in the morning. The sun was even still sleeping, yet he felt wide-awake. The solution came to him and made his lips twitch almost into a smile. Tea.

It turned out the predawn tea did help him calm down, but soon his eyelids were drooping. He was so tired, but he didn't want to haul himself back to his cabin. He put his cup in the sink and headed into Uncle's office. There he found Uncle's hidden key and stumbled upstairs.

The dusty sheets didn't bother him nor did the musty room. He had lived in worse conditions, but he didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to think about hiding with Azula under similar covers while their father shouted. He'd rather remember the blanket fort he built with Katara, watching her by flashlight as she told some story. He fell into an exhausted sleep picturing her endless blue eyes.

 **-Katara-**

She hadn't slept well. Still, she hauled herself out of bed when her alarm went off at 7am. She walked up to the main lodge unsure of what she'd find. The events of the previous night swirled in her mind.

After she left Zuko, she ran at top speeds to the docks. She wasn't very focused and it's no wonder she was caught as soon as she stepped onto the main trail. It hadn't really mattered to her though. She didn't feel much like playing and had decided to turn in early.

She didn't really understand why Zuko seemed obsessed with hating Jet. Overall, Jet seemed like a nice guy. She groaned. Why couldn't they all just get along? She'd been forced to come to Camp Kyoshi by her father, but now that she was there, she hoped it'd be fun. It seemed a little stupid to be worrying about fun when her father was who knows where. He'd just left again, slipped through her fingers, slipped away.

She took a deep breath, willing away the tears, before she entered the main lodge.

Everyone seemed pretty normal. Suki and Iroh were absent, preparing breakfast no doubt.  
"Morning," Jet greeted, smiling.  
"Hey," she replied as she took a seat next to him. "What's up?"  
"We're cleaning today," Sokka replied with an exaggerated sigh. "I can't wait until the campers get here in two days. Then we can watch them clean the bathrooms."  
"But with all the extra bodies, we'll have to clean more often," Suki pointed out, poking her head out of the kitchen.  
"True, but like I said _they'll_ do the cleaning while we supervise," Sokka countered with a grin. Suki shook her head once before smirking and disappearing back into the kitchen.  
"Are you sure your supervisor material?" Katara asked her brother, "Do I need to remind you of the time you babysat for our neighbors?" Sokka's eyes widened comically and everyone at the table laughed. Even Zuko chuckled.  
"Which neighbors?" Jet asked, being first to regain himself, "Not Zuko." She instantly saw Zuko's smile fade. It almost hurt to see it vanish, but she wasn't sure why. Zuko seemed to clench his teeth, trying not to speak.  
"Nah," Sokka waved the question off in a way only he could, oblivious to the tension, "This was after his family moved away. This was a family on our other side. I still say they falsely advertised the job!" Katara forced a laugh.  
"What did you think they were going to do with that Great Dane?" she asked.  
"I don't know!" Sokka shrugged, "I thought they'd take it with them!"  
"To a movie…?"  
"Yes," he replied matter-of-factly, defending his stand until the very last. She stuck her tongue out at him, which he mirrored.  
"Whoa," Suki said, coming to sit next to Sokka, "What did I miss?"  
"Katara doesn't think Sokka is supervisor material," Ty filled in. "To prove her point she reminded him of a babysitting incident he once had somehow involving a Great Dane."  
"Oh and there was a parakeet!" Sokka remembered.  
"Well, sounds like quite the story," Suki said. "How about some breakfast while we hear this story."  
"Food!" Sokka yelled as he leapt to his feet. Katara smiled. This felt normal.

The only piece out of place was Zuko.

 **-Zuko-**

He kept to himself for most of breakfast, barely raising his head. He had decided to give it all a rest. When Katara and he talked, he wanted them both to be calm. He needed her to hear him out, instead of storming off. This meant he couldn't fly off the handle either. If he was to remain calm during their talk, he'd need to be calm all day. Of course, Jet wasn't making it easier. _Ass._

All during breakfast, he had to listen to Jet joke around and run his mouth. Once, Zuko had caught his eye and could have sworn the guy smirked. The effer knew damn straight what he was doing. Instead of focusing on how much he wanted to throttle Jet, he stared down at his bowl of oatmeal.

He really just wanted to talk to Katara. He didn't like the rift that had come between them. Instead, he had to listen to the cause of his suffering go on and on, recounting some grand adventure or whatever. He hadn't noticed Ty trying to get his attention until she tapped him.  
"What's the matter?" she asked softly, tilting her head slightly like a confused puppy.  
"Nothing," he replied, trying to smile. "I'm fine." They both knew that was a lie. She looked like she wanted him to admit to his troubles. _Well, tough luck_ he thought. He had promised not to say things were okay when they weren't only to Katara, only her.  
"Well," Ty said with a soft sigh, "if you ever want to talk… I know a thing or two about forcing a smile and not being yourself." She really was very kind, even to a grump like him.  
"Thank you Ty," he gave her a small, genuine smile. Just then, Uncle came in for an announcement.  
"So as you know, today you'll be cleaning. Doesn't that sound like fun?" Uncle smiled wryly, "After you finish the bathrooms, you can straighten the campers' cabins. Then we'll meet back here to go over our opening campfire program, break for lunch, and free time. After that, I will have two important announcements. At some point, we'll get back to work on the program. I want to make sure everybody knows their role here and what duties that contains. We can also go over the tentative calendar for the entire two weeks of camp, putting the events and times in your phones that may prove useful. Until then, happy cleaning. Supplies are in there already and the staff that's been here before knows what to do." _Two more announcements?_ Zuko wondered what they could be.

Uncle insisted he could handle the dishes, so after breakfast everyone headed down to the bathrooms.  
"Well this will be 'fun,'" Jet declared sarcastically. Katara nudged him. "Sorry," he amended.  
"Come on Katara," Suki called as she and Ty headed towards the girl's bathroom.  
"I'll catch you later 'Tara," Jet said smoothly.

Zuko had never minded cleaning before, but in close quarters with Jet? It was going to be 'fun' indeed.

 **-Katara-**

"What's up with you and Jet?" Ty asked as soon as it was just the three ladies.  
"Uh…" Katara didn't even know what to say. Was there something going on? She wasn't even sure.  
"Ty!" Suki admonished, equally shocked.  
"What?" Ty shrugged, "It's a valid question. Aren't you curious?"  
"Maybe but it's none of our business," Suki reasoned.  
"What about you and Sokka then? You two seem pretty cozy. He seemed bummed not to help you wash dishes today." Suki blushed.  
"Okay, okay," Katara intervened, "Let's just start cleaning." She opened the closet and rolled out the cleaning supplies.

The seconds ticked by where they moved in silence.  
"Sorry ladies," Ty apologized, looking up from the floor she was moping. They all shared a small smile.  
"It's okay," Katara said.  
"Yeah," Suki agreed, "apology accepted."  
"I didn't mean to pry…" Ty gave a little laugh, "Okay, I guess I did, but not like that. I've always been kind of a blurter. I've also been told a talk too much. Also, that I wear too much pink and I'm too happy. You can probably see now why I don't have very many friends…" Without another thought, Katara put down her duster and went to embrace Ty.  
"Hey," she soothed as she hugged the girl.  
"I haven't known you long, but I've already seen how kind you are," Suki assured her.  
"And you're not too pink or happy. You're you," Katara added. Ty sniffed.  
"That's all I've ever wanted to be, myself," she smiled weakly. "Thank you. You guys are the best."

When at last they broke apart, she felt like she knew Ty just a little bit better.  
"Between the three of us, this bathroom will be clean in no time," Suki said, smiling. They cheered and resumed cleaning. As they cleaned, they chatted. They talked about everything and nothing. Favorite past times, TV shows, music, and just anything. It was nice. It had been a while since Katara had just chatted with some girl friends.

After they finished, they cleaned out the cabin for the campers and returned to the main lodge. They all regrouped and sang songs and practiced a few skits. The laughs continued even through lunch. Not surprisingly, Sokka volunteered to help with the dishes and Katara caught Suki's shy smile. She was joking around with Ty and Jet when she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. It was Zuko.  
"Hey," Jet said gruffly before Katara could respond.  
"Hi," she said to Zuko, ignoring Jet, "What's up?"  
"Can we…can we talk?" he asked tentatively. Maybe she should hear him out… She was now feeling a little guilty for running out on him last night. She hadn't wanted to listen then, but maybe now, in the light of day, it was time. If she knew why he disliked Jet maybe she could make peace between them.  
"But _we_ were talking," Jet responded. She frowned. She didn't like other people speaking on her behalf. She stood.  
"Yeah Zuko," she replied, "of course." Together they walked out of the main lodge.

They were both silent for a moment as they headed towards the lake.  
"Zuko-" she started to say.  
"Katara-" he said at the exact same moment. "Uh… you go first."  
"I uh…" she suddenly felt a little sheepish, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for last night…running off. It was just…"  
"You like him," Zuko said without a hint of sarcasm. She felt her cheeks go red. Her instant response was to say no, but was that true? She wanted to be honest with Zuko no matter what.  
"Uh...I don't know," she admitted.  
"I see," his jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything else.  
"So what were you going to say?" she asked after the minutes ticked by in silence.

 **-Zuko-**

 _Shit._ Should he tell her? He tried not to let it show how it hurt when she admitted she may like Jet. He had hoped his statement would have been shot down. It'd make his decision so much easier. _Just do it_ he told himself. He took a breath, gathering his courage.  
"I learned that…" he sighed and restarted, "Jet was talking the other day…and he told me-"  
"Sorry to interrupt," a girl's voice said and he and Katara turned, "but could you show me to the main lodge?" Beside the girl was a golden retriever on a short leash. The girl was eleven maybe? Her dark hair hung in her eyes. It only took Zuko a second to realize her unblinking blue eyes could not see.  
"Uh yeah," Katara said, coming to the same conclusion.  
"Great," the girl smiled, "Thanks Sweetness. My name is Toph and this fuzz ball is Bandit."  
"'Toph'" Zuko repeated, "As in Toph Beifong?"  
"Yeah, what about it Your Highness?" Toph bit back.  
"Your family is the camp's benefactors," he explained.  
"Yeah, I know."  
"Uh here," Katara moved to gently link arms with the girl, "The main cabin is this way." The three of them (and Bandit) walked up the trail to the lodge.  
"So…are you going to be a camper?" he asked, filling the silence.  
"Well, I didn't come out here to admire the scenery," she replied. "Who are you? Captain Obvious?"  
"No," he said with a frown. "I'm Zuko. My uncle runs this camp."  
"Oooh," Toph said with fake fascination. They walked through the doors before he could think of a response. Uncle noticed as soon as they entered.  
"Ah," Uncle looked up with a smile, "I see you have already met. Everyone else, we have a very special camper joining us today. Let's give the warmest of welcomes to Toph Beifong and her seeing eye dog Bandit." Everyone else came over to welcome their first camper.

Toph shrugged off the attention.  
"Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you," Toph said, "Is that grilled cheese I smell?"  
"Yes," Suki replied with a smile, "Would you like some?"  
"Yeah, thanks," she enthusiastically moved through the group, following Suki.  
"Now there is another announcement," Uncle said after glancing out the window. "I know this is rather last minute," he admitted, "but I decided we could use an extra pair of hands and eyes, someone who has also agreed to assist Toph with anything. That being said, I'd like to introduce an addition to our staff." He turned towards the door and all eyes followed. The door opened and there was the last person Zuko expected to see at Camp Kyoshi. A duffle bag was slung over her shoulder as she trudged through the door.  
"Mai," he whispered as his eyes widened.

* * *

 **a/n Well, lots of drama this chapter, eh? Thanks for reading! Also...TOPH! Who saw that coming? (There was a hint in ch 2 that she'd be coming.) What did you think of everything? Leave me a review to let me know. All in all, I hope you liked the chapter and that you have an amazing new year.**


	10. Chapter 10

**a/n Thank you for all the awesome reviews and waiting so long for an update! This past week or so I have finally returned to 100% and I am determined not to get sick again.  
** **I have a few housekeeping items in the author's note at the end where I also answer a few questions I've been asked.  
** **Without further delay…**

 **Disclaimer: Not my cabbages**

* * *

~Chapter 10~

 **-Katara-**

Zuko looked like he'd seen a ghost as he stared at the girl in the doorway. Whoever she was, it was obvious he knew her and was shocked to see her. The girl smirked, dropped her bags, and approached.  
"Hey Zuko," she drawled, "Fancy seeing you here." Zuko stiffened slightly as she leaned towards him. "What?" she asked, obviously noticing him freeze, "You know I don't bite…hard."  
"Hi," Katara interjected, seeing that her old friend was definitely uncomfortable, "I'm Katara. What was your name again?" She stretched out her hand, forcing the girl to move away from Zuko.  
"I'm Mai," she replied icily.  
"It's lovely to meet you!" Ty beamed, extending her hand as well, "I'm Ty Lee, but everyone calls me Ty." Mai looked Ty up and down once before accepting her hand. The two seemed like complete opposites. Ty's round face, kind smile, and pink clothes radiated friendliness and enthusiasm, whereas Mai had an angular face and haircut that screamed emo. Mai's hair was dark and longer in the back, resting on her shoulders in two deadly pigtails.  
"What are you doing here Mai?" Zuko asked, finding his voice.  
"As your uncle explained, I'm here to work," Mai smiled. Zuko frowned, as if he didn't believe her. _Who is this girl?_ Katara wondered. She wanted to ask him, but maybe not in front of everybody.  
"Well, the more the merrier," Sokka said, "My name's Sokka."  
"Yeah," Jet agreed, "And I'm Jet by the way."  
"Like a plane?" Mai asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Maybe," Jet replied with a sour expression.  
"Now that we have introductions out of the way," Iroh announced, "Does someone want to show Mai around? Zuko?" Iroh suggested. Zuko froze again, saying nothing.  
"I'll show her!" Ty volunteered, shooting her hand into the air. Before anyone could move, Ty was dragging Mai out the door.

Nobody spoke or moved for a moment.  
"Mhmm, this is really good," Toph said behind them, breaking the silence, her mouth half-full of grilled cheese. A few of them chuckled. Sokka, Jet, and Iroh went to join their new camper; however, Zuko stayed frozen in place.  
"You okay?" she asked him. Without meeting her gaze, he shook his head no and silently walked out of the main lodge. She opened her mouth to call out to him, but decided not to. It was obvious he needed to be alone, so she joined the rest of her friends at the table with Toph.  
"What made you want to come here?" Jet asked, scooting over to make room for Katara.  
"I've wanted to come here for years actually," Toph replied, picking the crust off her bread.  
"So…" Sokka began, "Have you…er…have you always been blind?" Toph's mouth opened in surprise and she dropped her sandwich.  
"What? I'm blind! Why didn't anyone tell me?" Sokka opened his mouth but no words came out, "Relax Snoozles," she assured him with a dismissive wave, "I'm kidding. To answer your unoriginal question: yeah, I've always been blind, but it doesn't limit me like everyone assumes. I'm not helpless."  
"Well, we're very glad you'll be joining us," Iroh said kindly.  
"Glad to be here," Toph smiled as she resumed de-crusting her bread. "Even though my parents are the camp's benefactors, they haven't let me come here until now. It's so nice up here."  
"I thought you said you weren't here to admire the scenery," Katara quipped. Toph smirked.  
"Well Sweetness, I don't need sight to appreciate something. There's so much to feel in the world, like rocks, earth, and sand." She explained, "My mother especially always saw me as sort of her delicate little daughter, but that's garbage. Once I got Bandit, we were unstoppable." She scooped up a handful of bread crusts and presented them to Bandit, who slurped them up before lying back down beside her, "I had a private teacher to work with me and Bandit. She was the best." Katara smiled. Toph at first seemed to be just a smart-aleck, but Katara could tell there was much more to her than humor.

While they all asked Toph questions and got to know her, Katara wasn't entirely focused on the conversation. In the back of her mind, she wondered where Zuko was. She wanted to make sure he was okay. She used the tried and true bathroom excuse to step outside. Obviously, he wasn't just sitting on the front steps like she'd secretly hoped.

She pulled out her phone. She wanted information on Mai; find the connection between this girl and Zuko. It didn't take her long to find him on Facebook. Her old friend had a pretty unique name. Most of the stuff on his timeline were pictures and posts his sister had tagged him in. Then she saw that his relationship status had been changed a few weeks ago from "in a relationship" to "single." She kept scrolling back until she found a picture posted by Mai. It seemed like her sour expression was her trademark, but Zuko's smile captured her attention. From his smile alone, it was obvious that they were a couple. She wasn't sure why it hurt a little to see him with his arm around Mai.  
"Hey Katara," a voice called making her jump and quickly lock her phone. She looked up to see Jet.  
"Oh, hey," she smiled, her heart still racing. "You scared me."  
"I can see that," he replied with a little laugh. "What were you doing?"  
"Nothing," she lied quickly, slipping her phone into her pocket, "What's up?"  
"Not much with me really," he shrugged, "Sokka, Suki, and Iroh are still in the main lodge. I think I saw Mai and Zuko go off somewhere, which means Ty is probably also in the lodge talking to Toph." She frowned slightly at the mention of Mai. Zuko had seemed pretty unwelcoming, but now they were chatting? "Anyways…" Jet continued, "I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk. Iroh said he'd let us all know when to regroup."  
"But Toph-"  
"-Has more than enough people bugging her. Come on," he smiled and held out his hand, "let's get out of here."  
"Okay," she agreed and took his hand.

 **-Zuko-**

He could still hardly believe Mai was there. When she had texted him that they needed to talk, he figured she would do most of the talking, but apparently not. Instead, they sat in the empty amphitheater. The dock was closer, but he hadn't wanted to meet her there.  
"How was Secret Tunnel?" he asked finally, not really caring about her response.  
"It was alright," she sighed, "I went with Zhao." Zuko clenched his teeth. Zhao was Mai's ex-boyfriend. He was twenty-something years old, in college, and a complete asshole.  
"And how was that?" he asked coolly.  
"What do you want me to tell you Zuko?" Mai asked angrily.  
"How long?" It suddenly hit him.  
"What?"  
"How long have you two been hooking up?" She at least had the courtesy to blush.  
"Two months."  
"Two months!" he repeated.  
"It wasn't very often," she said, as if that made all the difference.  
"That makes it so much better," he said sarcastically, "Fuck." He ran his hands through his hair, "I can't believe you were cheating on me with _him._ It's fucking ironic."  
"Well, I wasn't getting anywhere with you! After so many months of just second-base with you, I needed it."  
"So it's my fault you cheated on me? You do hear how absurd that is, right? If I was so pointless, why did you stay with me that long?"  
"Well, if you-," she stopped herself and sighed. The fire left her eyes. After a deep breath, her expression cleared of emotion, she started over. "Look I'm sorry. I really am. I'm sorry I cheated on you. I'm sorry I broke up with you. I'm sorry I went to the concert with-…." She wisely didn't mention his worthless name, "It wasn't very good, if that helps." Zuko scoffed, "It was at a party. We were both drunk; I don't remember most of it. But it showed me that what we have-" he glared at her, "what we had was special and I don't want to lose it."  
"You've already lost whatever we were. Remember? You dumped me over the phone."  
"At least it wasn't via text," she joked.  
"Oh my fucking god. Really, Mai?" He got up, determined to storm off.  
"No, Zuko wait!" she jumped to her feet and caught his arm, "I'm sorry! I was an idiot to throw away what we had. I want it back. I want us back." As much as he didn't want to, he winced. Her words dug into what was left of his heart, what was left after she had sliced it to pieces.  
"Well, I hate to disappoint you again," he replied without looking back at her, "but that's not going to happen." He yanked his arm away from her grip and walked away.

The bright sun and blue sky seemed to mock his misery. Emotions swirled around in his head. Anger. Betrayal. Sadness. Emptiness. He wasn't exactly sure anymore. He headed to the docks on autopilot.

He saw Jet and Katara strolling by the waterfront, but he felt so distant from it all he didn't even acknowledge them. They stopped talking as he walked pass. He didn't stop, didn't look back. He could see the docks through the thin foliage when he heard someone running after him.  
"Hey," Katara said, offering him a small smile. He looked over at her and it hurt. It was like a slow knife twisting through his soul.

She seemed to know where he was going on instinct and followed him without question onto the dock. The sun beat down on them, but he couldn't feel its warmth. He felt numb.  
"Are you okay?" she asked softly. He said nothing. "Don't forget, you pinkie promised to answer that question truthfully," she reminded, nudging him playfully. His lips twitched up almost into a smile before the numb feeling returned. "Zuko?" He closed his eyes for a second, hoping to ease the pain he felt.  
"No," he finally replied, shaking his head slightly, "I'm not okay. I never expected to see her here," he said after a minute. "I didn't really think I'd see her again at all really." He paused, but Katara kept quiet. He took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself. He knew if he said the exact words aloud, it'd make it more real. Like a coward, he wanted to delay the moment, but the time had come. "She had been hooking up with her ex-boyfriend for the last month or so we were together."  
"Oh Zuko," Katara said sadly, putting a hand on his knee to comfort him. "I'm so sorry."  
"We were together for eight months until she ended things a few weeks before camp."  
"Why do you think she came here now?"  
"I don't know, but…she said she wanted to get back together." Katara didn't say anything for a moment.  
"And what do you think about that?" She asked cautiously, "Do you want to? Can you forgive her even though she…"  
"I don't know," he replied honestly, "When she broke up with me I was...I was not in a good place."  
"Did you love her?"  
"I thought I did, but-"  
"Now you don't think so?"  
"Yeah," he sighed, "I don't know…I don't think she ever felt the same. I was just a side note or a distraction or whatever. I know you might not want to hear this, but when Mai and I were together… I felt whole. I felt more complete than I had in years." It was her turn to look away, a sad look marring her otherwise perfect face. He raised his hand to tilt her head gently back to meet his gaze. "Katara…the last time I felt like that. The last time I felt complete was wi-"  
"You guys coming?" someone called out behind them. Katara and he quickly swiveled their heads to see Jet. _Figures_ , he thought.  
"In a minute Jet," Katara called back before turning back to Zuko. "What were you about to say?" The moment was lost. He couldn't tell her now. But he did need to warn her about Jet.  
"Listen Katara," he said seriously, "I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier because of Toph, but Jet isn't the guy you think he is. He has a girlfriend." There he had said it.  
"You mean he _had_ a girlfriend," she clarified, seemingly unsurprised by his words. "Jet said he broke things off with her a few months ago."  
"Wait. What?" This didn't make any sense. "When did you talk to Jet? When did he tell you this?"  
"He explained everything just before we saw you actually. It's funny you brought it up. He said you might say something like this, but I didn't think you'd be that petty."  
"No, no, he told me very clearly he has, as in currently has, a girlfriend."  
"Maybe he was kidding or something," she shrugged. "Look, it doesn't matter. We should get going." She stood, effectively ending the conversation.

She hadn't believed him. Jet had gotten to her first. _Shit._ Zuko would need to find proof for her to accept the truth.

 **-Katara-**

They walked in silence back to the main lodge. She wasn't mad at Zuko, just a little disappointed that Jet had been right. Her old friend had been having a tough day, so she wasn't going to hold it against him. He was sad and confused. No matter what he said or what anybody said about him, she felt connected to him and just wanted him to be happy.

When everyone got back to the lodge, Iroh went through more how the camp worked, mainly for Mai's benefit. All the while, Katara studied her, trying to see past the exterior to the girl inside who could cause Zuko so much pain. Katara could see her, very faintly. Mai was a master at being impassive; she gave little away.

Iroh also explained the responsibilities of each of the staff members. Mai would primarily stick with Toph through the program, despite Toph's argument that she'd be fine.  
"Your mother and father made me promise that a staff member would be with you at all times," Iroh told her calmly. She opened her mouth to object but Iroh went on. "This also means that Mai will be staying in one of the camper cabins with you."  
"I'm twelve! I think I can sleep by myself," Toph protested.  
"Again, this was part of my agreement with your parents," Iroh explained.  
"Whatever," she replied with a huff and crossed her arms. Katara had to fight back a smile. She had learned quickly that Toph was tougher than most people gave her credit. She said exactly what she thought and didn't hold back. Her manners left much to be desired, but this place was a summer camp. From what Toph said of her home life, things always had been very proper and refined, so this was a taste of true freedom. Even with Bandit, Toph had probably never been this free. Bandit took her job seriously, but when Toph released her, she was the sweetest dog Katara had ever met.

The day went on. Mai and Zuko effectively ignored each other, despite Iroh's attempt to strike up conversation between them. She wasn't sure why he was forcing them together. From Zuko's exasperated expression when Iroh recommended they cleaned up the main lodge after dinner, he wasn't sure either.

While Mai, Zuko, and Suki cleaned up, Katara helped Toph get settled in one of the cabins. The girl sat on a different bunk with Bandit at her feet while Katara made the bed.  
"So what's up with you and the captain?" Toph asked.  
"Me and who?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at the girl.  
"The captain, Captain Obvious," Toph explained, "But maybe he's more of a prince, since his uncle does run the place."  
"You mean Zuko?" Katara's eyes widened and she quickly turned back to the mattress.  
"Duh. What's the deal with you and his highness?"  
"You make him sound like a knight in shining armor or something."  
"Whatever. Quit stalling Sweetness."  
"Nothing is going on between us."  
"Really?" she asked, her disbelief evident, "You two seemed pretty cozy when we met earlier."  
"We were just talking. We used to be friends."  
"Uh-huh, sure."  
"Come on, we better get back to the main lodge. Your bed is made and your bag is underneath."  
"Okay, okay," Toph relented, "Could you grab something for me first?"  
"Yeah, what?"  
"Front right pocket," Toph instructed, "There should be my playing cards." Sure enough, Katara found a pack of braille bicycle cards.  
"I didn't know they made these," she commented.  
"Yeah, no one expects the blind girl to be good at poker, but just wait and see." Toph grinned and took Katara's arm. The two of them and Bandit headed back to the lodge.

 **-Zuko-**

He would have to have a talk with his uncle in the morning. What was he thinking, hiring Mai? Was he trying to get them back together? He knew that they'd broken up, but what were his exact words? 'I heard you and Mai broke up. I'm sorry to hear that. I do not like seeing you in pain.' Did he think bringing Mai here would end his pain? If so, he was sorely mistaken. Mai's appearance only made him realize and accept the feelings he still had for Katara. He sighed slightly. He needed to find proof of Jet's mystery girlfriend. He wanted Katara to know the truth. But how?

Inspiration struck when he saw Jet tuck his phone into his pocket. He just needed to get the phone off him.

When Katara and Toph returned, Toph announced a game of Texas Hold 'em. Zuko wasn't much of a gambling man (even with fake money), but he would bet Jet was. Sure enough, Jet was one of the first to join Toph, followed by Sokka, Suki, Mai, and surprisingly Ty. If he joined them, this could be his chance. He noticed Ty had her phone sitting on the table.  
"Hey," he said as casually as possible, "Maybe we should put our phones on a different table."  
"Why?" Sokka asked.  
"To make sure no one cheats? We could easily look up strategies or whatever and Toph would never know."  
"You wimps better not cheat," Toph warned. "His highness is right. Put the phones on a different table." Sokka shrugged and handed his phone over. So did Ty, Suki, and reluctantly Jet. _Ha!_ He thought triumphantly.  
"I'll just go put these over here," he said, getting up. "Actually, I'll be right back." He carefully slipped Jet's phone into his pocket, "I have to go to the bathroom. You can deal me in later."  
"Yeah, okay. Don't take too long, the game may be over by the time you get back." Toph said, shuffling the cards with a grin. As quickly as possible, he slipped outside.

Under the bright bathroom lights, he examined Jet's phone. It was an iPhone of some sort with a four-digit passcode. From the smudges, it looked like 2-7-8 were definitely involved, which meant one number was pressed twice. _What is it?_ he thought, staring at the numbers. Probably not a birthday or a birth year since the numbers were wrong. _A word maybe? C-A-S-T? P-A-S-T? R-A-T-S? A-R-T-S? T-A-R-S ?_ Then it hit him.  
"He wouldn't," he muttered, but typed in the numbers 8-2-7-2. The phone unlocked. "Fucker." Jet's passcode spelt T-A-R-A.

* * *

 **a/n**

 **What did you think? How were the scene(s) with Mai? She definitely brought some drama with her. Snatching Jet's phone was a risky move on Zuko's part. Will it be worth it in the end? What will he find?**

 **Quick shout out to the guest who pointed out that I wrote "Mei" at the end of the last chapter [it's been fixed cuz that was embarrassing]! I once knew a girl named M** **e** **i and old habits die hard I guess.  
** **I've been asked a few times about my formatting. Currently, I single-space my dialogue so paragraphs stand out better; however, if you think it's ineffective and detrimental to reading I'll change it in a heartbeat. So lemme know.  
** **Also, I'm not sure how many chapters this will end up being. Maybe around 18? I don't know. Sorry!**

 **Thanks for reading/reviewing/following! You guys are the best!**


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n Thank you for all the wonderful feedback! It's been great to read!  
** **Sorry for the wait (and for that cliffhanger). I ended up getting sick AGAIN. I have gotten more colds this year than ever before. Ugh.**

 **I hope wherever you are you are well and that you enjoy chapter 11.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to AtLA, at least, not until I take over the world**

* * *

~Chapter 11~

 **-Katara-**

It was safe to say that Toph was not a gracious winner. Ty and Suki were quickly cleaned out. Sokka held on until he too had to fold.  
"Ha! In your face Snoozles!" Toph grinned.  
"Humph," he replied and crossed his arms. Katara had to laugh.  
"What?" Toph asked him, "You're not going to be a sore loser are you?"  
"You haven't won yet," Jet pointed out.  
"True, but it's only a matter of time." Mai was still in the game as well, but she kept quiet. Katara wouldn't be too surprised if she won; it's the quiet ones you have to watch.

Everyone but Toph glanced up when the door opened and Zuko came inside.  
"Hey," Toph said, correctly guessing who it was, "What took you so long?"  
"I…uh…" he stuttered.  
"Oh well, you're back just in time to watch me wipe the floor with Mr. Independent."  
"Isn't that a Kelly Clarkson song?" Ty asked.  
"No, that's Miss Independent. I'm always original or ironic with my nicknames."  
"Why do you get to pick the nicknames?" Jet grumbled.  
"Would you like a different one? Maybe Mr. Freedom Feathers," Toph suggested.  
"That doesn't even make any sense."  
"Freedom fighter? Hmmm…what about Mr. Jet Plane? I'm just thinking out loud here guys. Oh! Jay Jay the Jet Plane!"  
"No!" Jet said horrified, "No thank you. I will stick with Mr. Independent."  
"Suit yourself," Toph shrugged.

Zuko seemed to ignore the ongoing banter and approached.  
"Katara," he said urgently, "We need to talk."  
"Right now?" she asked, "I'm kind of-" That's when she looked up at him. His face was so serious she decided not to argue, "Okay, what's up?"  
"Can we take this outside," he implored, "please?"  
"Sure," she replied somewhat confused at his level of intensity.  
"Hey," Toph called after them, "You're gonna miss the best part!"  
"You can fill me in later," she said over her shoulder.  
The sun was just starting to set behind the trees. She wasted no time as soon as they were alone.  
"What's going on?" she asked.  
"Before I tell you," he said, a little hesitantly, "I need you to promise you won't get mad." She rolled her eyes.  
"Zuko, no good conversation has ever started that way."  
"Will you promise me?" he asked, ignoring her observation.  
"I don't know if I can do that. The last time I agreed to that…it didn't go well." She said, thinking briefly about her father. "However," she went on, seeing his fallen expression, "How about I promise to hear you out?"  
"Okay."  
"Good. Now, what's up?"  
"I grabbed Jet's phone," he said seriously, pulling the object from his pocket.  
"Zuko!" she gasped, "What? Why would you do that?"  
"Because he was lying to you and now I have proof."  
"I can't believe you invaded someone's privacy like that!" She gestured wildly, unsure what to do, "That is so wrong Zuko, on so many levels. I-" She groaned in frustration. "What reason did you have for stealing someone's phone?" she finally asked.  
"I'm borrowing it, but that's not the point. He has been texting with a girl."  
"Big deal! So what?"  
"Well, I guess you shouldn't worry about that. I'd worry more about her SnapChat."  
"What about it?" her patience was wearing thin.  
"Well, he has a few of the photos saved… I don't know if you want to see them or not…"  
"I don't want to see them! This isn't any of our business Zuko!" _Why is he doing this?_ she thought to herself, then it came to her. "Look," she said more calmly, "I know that you're upset that Mai is here, but-"  
"Is that what you think this is about?" he asked, his voice rising with anger, "Mai?"  
"Of course it is! Just because Mai is here doesn't mean you get to take it out on other people. You don't get to judge us or go through Jet's phone."  
"He's a liar Katara," he said through gritted teeth, "If he's lied about this, who knows what else he's lied about."  
"Why does this matter so much to you?"  
"Why _doesn't_ this matter to you?" he asked, "You admitted you might like him, so you should know who he really is. You're the one who has to work so closely with this scum."  
"Zuko." She said harshly, "That's enough. I'm going back inside. You had better be there in two minutes because you need to give Jet his phone back and apologize. If you don't, it's going to be a very long two weeks."

 **-Zuko-**

"Fuck," he swore. Why couldn't anything ever go his fucking way? Here he was with proof that Jet was garbage and she had yelled at him. At least now, she knew the truth. He just wanted what was best for her, even though he'd probably completely fucked up their budding friendship. He glanced down at the black phone in his hand. "Fuck," he said again. On the phone, he had found a long string of messages between Jet and this other girl. Whoever she was, Zuko had seen much more of her than necessary. He had blushed all the while he scrolled through his discovery.

He raked his hand through his hair. Katara had made it pretty clear of what he had to do.

It went about as well as expected.  
"You stole my phone?!" Jet yelled, snatching the phone off the table and leaping to his feet.  
"I think he actually just borrowed it," Toph commented, calmly shuffling cards. Jet stared daggers at her for a moment before returning his attention to Zuko. Jet was slightly taller and used his index finger to stab at Zuko's chest.  
"I better not catch you in my stuff again. Don't you f-"  
"What's going on out here?" Uncle asked, coming out of the office. No one spoke. "Now I know there is definitely something going on. Jet?"  
"Ask him," Jet replied, jerking his head towards Zuko.  
"Nephew?"  
"I borrowed Jet's phone."  
"More like you stole it!" interjected Jet.  
"Why would you do something like that?" Uncle asked, confusion and sadness in his voice.  
"I…uh…" Despite that he felt his actions were justified, Zuko felt a bit ashamed. Uncle has always been on his side and now he spoke as if he had been betrayed. Uncle shook his head sadly, silencing Zuko's stammers.  
"It doesn't matter. You do not have the right to take anybody's stuff Zuko. Theft directly violates the contract you signed to work here. It is grounds for termination." Zuko gulped.  
"Yes, Uncle," he replied somberly.  
"As punishment, you will not be allowed to perform in the talent show or use your phone for the rest of camp. Your phone please, Zuko." Uncle held out his hand expectantly. Zuko reached into his pocket and handed his phone over. "Now, the rest of the campers will be arriving the day after tomorrow, so we need to make sure we're ready. If you don't mind Toph, we should be practicing now."  
"Go for it," she replied, "You are all very entertaining."

They sang, they practiced skits, and Katara seemed to avoid him as much as possible. Mai seemed to be pleased, though no one else could probably see her smug look behind her mask of disinterest.

He might have been able to predict Katara's reaction, but his Uncle was another story. He'd never seen the man act so distant. When they were done for the night, Zuko tried to reach out.  
"Uncle I-" he felt so bad, but he didn't know what to say. "I just wanted to tell you that I found-" Uncle held up a hand, silencing him.  
"Unless you found something illegal, I don't want to hear it Zuko," Uncle said, his voice weary. "Goodnight."  
"Goodnight Uncle," Zuko replied and walked away.

Mai descended immediately.  
"Hey," she said, as if nothing had happened. As if she hadn't shown up out of the blue. As if she hadn't cheated on him and then broke up with him. As if she hadn't said that she wanted to get back together. He wanted to be mad at Mai, but his fire had left him.  
"Hi," he replied soberly.  
"So what exactly was your plan?" she asked.  
"Huh?"  
"You swiped Jet's phone and you think everybody's just going to be okay with that?" she gave him the look that read 'seriously?' He'd seen it many times before.  
"I don't want to talk about it," he replied.  
"Of course you don't," she said, rolling her eyes. "Well it was a dumb move."  
"Thanks Mai," he said as sarcastically as possible.  
"I mean you really didn't think that one through." It was like she was trying to irritate him.  
"Does this conversation have a point Mai?" he asked.  
"I just don't think it'll ever work between you two."  
"And you think it can work out between us?" What was she playing at? "You were cheating on me Mai," he stated.  
"I know," she replied and looked down for a beat, "I can't change what I did. I know I was kind of a bitch, but I'm trying to do better," she paused, "for you."  
"Mai…" he didn't want to have this conversation now, if ever. She had shattered his heart. He had hoped Katara might be the one to repair it, but maybe that was too much to wish for.  
"I want to find a way for us to move forward," Mai said.  
"Is there still an 'us?'" he asked skeptically.  
"I don't know. I hope so," she replied quietly. He had never seen her like this before. She was usually so impassive, everything used just to deflect off her.

He glanced over at the others. Jet and Katara were laughing at something Toph said. Zuko's heart ached slightly looking at them. He didn't know what to do. Sleep seemed like the only good idea. Maybe the next day wouldn't be as bad.

 **-Katara-**

She couldn't begin to understand why he had stolen Jet's phone. It might have been ridiculous, but she almost felt betrayed by Zuko. She didn't think he was that type of guy. When they were kids, he was the one who would rein her in when she got too crazy. This was back before she had lost her mother and was forced to grow up. She had always seen him as a force of good. Now that image was shattered.

Whatever he had found on Jet's phone she didn't want to care. The phone was Jet's private property. She shouldn't care what was on it, even if told her he had a girlfriend. She shouldn't care, but she did. She just wanted to know if it was true. If it was, why hadn't Jet said anything? Katara wasn't an expert on boys by any stretch of the imagination, but she thought Jet sort of liked her. She sort of, maybe, kind of liked him.

Zuko had long since gone to bed and soon after Toph (and Bandit) and Mai went to bed. Ty and Suki headed out the same time Sokka did. Then it was just her and Jet standing under the growing moon in front of the main lodge.  
"Quite a day, huh?" he asked, filling the silence. She didn't really feel like small talk. She had reframed from asking the question that nagged on her mind until after everyone left.  
"Why didn't you tell me you have a girlfriend?" she asked suddenly.  
"Because I don't," he replied.  
"Zuko said- err… I mean, I was told that you've been texting her and there were…pictures involved."  
"You believe him over me?" Jet asked, affronted.  
"Were you or weren't you, Jet?"  
"Maybe I was," he admitted, "but I stopped."  
"When?" she asked, "4 months ago like you told me?"  
"No, Katara," he sighed, "I stopped like a week ago."  
"Why? Why did you stop a week ago if you've had this ongoing relationship?"  
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked. His eyes brown eyes turned shy.  
"No," she replied, confused, "It isn't obvious to me." He smiled softly.  
"It was because of you Katara," he said quietly. "I stopped texting her when I met you."  
"But I…" Her mind had gone blank. He took a step closer to her, which didn't help her organize her thoughts.  
"You like me, don't you Katara?" he asked softly.  
"I…uh… I don't know," she admitted, "I'm confused." Suddenly his lips brushed hers in a feather light kiss.  
"Think about it then," he whispered in her ear before walking away.

She stood there for a moment, watching him walk away. She was still not quite able to process what had happened. The cool feeling of his lips against hers was still present. It hadn't really been a kiss, just a ghost of one. She wondered what a real kiss from Jet would have felt like. A little grin pulled at the corner of her lips as she walked to her cabin.

 **-Zuko-**

It was going to be a shitty day. No amount of Tai Chi could have soothed him. That morning, Sokka explained to him that Suki had a strict moral code and didn't approve of what Zuko had done. At breakfast, Katara and Jet looked closer than ever and essentially ignored him. Suki glanced at him reproachfully all throughout the meal. Even without Sokka's warning, Zuko could tell the bond he'd started to forge with the other staffers had been weakened.

Ty seemed to be the only one who didn't treat him differently. She still smiled at him and asked him pointless questions where she interrupted herself before giving him a chance to answer. She was the very definition of bubbly. While they washed up after breakfast, he decided to ask her why she wasn't treating him like everyone else.  
"I know what it's like to be ignored," she answered seriously. It was a somber insight into the life Ty was used to.  
"Oh," he replied, not sure what else to say.  
"I'm okay now," she said, her smile returning, "My aura has never been pinker!" Her smile was incredibly contagious.

After breakfast, Toph and Bandit went for a walk with Mai while Uncle kept everyone else busy as they went back over the program, fine-tuning everything for the campers' arrival the next day. Zuko wasn't really focusing on any of it. He knew all the material, so he wasn't worried about that. He was worried Katara would continue to ignore him, realizing that she had chosen Jet over him stung more than he could have ever imagined. It hadn't even been 24-hours, but he missed their friendship or whatever they were.

Uncle gave them some free time after lunch. He really just wanted to be left alone, but as soon as he turned around Mai seemed to be there.  
"Because I'm here to help Beifong, I don't have to sing corny songs do I?" she asked him. She and Toph had returned just in time to hear their group rendition of the Camp Kyoshi song.  
"Maybe you should have looked into that before you came here," he replied harshly.  
"Ouch, Zuko. I was kidding… but even you have to admit that song is pretty cheesy."  
"Whatever," he said, "I'm going for a walk."

Walk wasn't the right term. Once he got outside and a little bit away from the lodge, he ran. It felt good to run, to push himself. Even though it was the hottest part of the day, he didn't care. He ran around the back trail up past the trailhead for the rock wall and the basket weaving and arts and crafts outbuildings.

He ran until he eventually ended up on the docks. If his life was one of those sappy romantic movies, he imagined Katara would have been waiting for him there, prepared to forgive him and renew their friendship. However, no one was around. He was sweating bullets and the water looked so inviting.  
"What the hell," he mumbled and jumped in.

 **-Katara-**

Ever since their almost kiss, Jet had been so sweet. Not just to her, but to everyone…well…except Zuko, but that was perfectly understandable.

During the free time, she watched Mai and Zuko interact before he took off. She had been watching Mai on and off all day. The girl acted differently. Katara couldn't quite place what had changed though. Once Zuko was gone, she decided to confront Mai.  
"So I heard you want to get back together with Zuko." Katara said bluntly. She watched as different emotions played across Mai's face, ending in a dismissive expression.  
"What's it to you?" Mai asked, her voice giving away nothing. "You two aren't exactly buddies." _She has a point_ an annoying voice in her head said.  
"That doesn't matter," Katara decided. "I want to know why he's suddenly so important to you." Even if she was kind of mad at him, she didn't want to see him getting hurt, especially not by Mai again.  
"Like I would tell you," Mai scoffed, "It's none of your business." Katara glared at her, willing her to give in.  
"Fine," she relented. "Don't tell me. But if you hurt him, you're going to answer to me."  
"Oh I'm so scared." Mai said deadpan. "You and Jet seem…"  
"What do you-"  
"I have eyes. I saw you two last night."  
"How?" Katara asked. A feeling of dread washed over her. She wasn't sure what Mai might do with the information.  
"There are these things called windows and I was sitting next to one."  
"So you were you spying on us."  
"No," Mai said as if she was talking to a child, "I was sitting with my head just so and I realized I could see the main lodge." Maybe she could convince Mai she hadn't seen anything important.  
"Look Mai, whatever you think you-"  
"Oh I know what I saw," Mai interrupted, "but don't worry I'm not going to tell anyone. If you don't get in my way, I won't get in yours." With that the girl turned away and joined Toph.

Mai's last words weren't comforting, in fact, they sounded like a threat.

When free time was almost over, Zuko came back, his clothes damp.  
"What happened to you?" Mai asked.  
"I went for a run then decided to go for a swim," he replied.  
"With your clothes on?" Mai asked skeptically.  
"It was really warm out there," he reasoned with a small smile. The smile surprised Katara. Mai had broken his heart, why was he smiling at her? Wasn't it just yesterday she told him she had been cheating on him when they were together? Yesterday on the docks Zuko had told her that he wasn't 'okay' and seemed so lost, but now he was smiling at the girl who had caused him to feel that way. What had changed? Katara had hurt for him so much at the time. Then he'd gone and stole Jet's phone, which only served to put a wedge between them.

She couldn't think about it all for long. Soon it was time to get back to work prepping for the campers. She got swept up in the planning and practicing. The day just flew by. There was so much to remember. That night as she fell asleep, she played through the opening campfire routine and the schedule. It was so exciting.

 **-Zuko-**

He had volunteered to inspect the boy's cabin one last time before the campers came. Mai met him outside when he was done.  
"All good?" she asked.  
"Yeah, it's clean, for now," he replied. He had figured a lot of stuff out yesterday during his run. He hadn't forgiven her; he wasn't sure such a thing could be forgiven, but he could tell she was really trying to change. She had apologized and seemed to have really meant it. She'd proven that things could be different between them. She didn't seem to judge him and order him around like she used to. It seemed like it'd be so easy to get back together with her, but some part of him was still unsure. Was it because of Katara? He didn't know.

Katara had made her choice. They'd spoken only a few times since he'd borrowed Jet's phone. Although, they hadn't had much time to talk since the campers would be there soon. Maybe the work would give her something else to focus on and they could hang out like they used to…? He wondered if such a thing were possible, if she'd forgive him, if they'd be friends again, or if he was just hopeless.

He forced a smile as the first car pulled up. It was time to welcome the campers.

* * *

 **a/n So a lot happened this chapter, eh? We found out what was on Jet's phone and now he and Katara are getting pretty close. Also, Mai is trying to get Zuko back, but will she succeed? What's up with Zuko anyways? Stealing Jet's phone might not have panned out so now what will he do?  
Yay the campers have arrived!  
There were also a few nods to the original series in here, did you catch any of them?  
**

 **Thanks for reading! Leave a review to let me know what you thought.**


	12. Chapter 12

**a/n Wow. I have been horrendously inattentive to this story. I'm so sorry. I've gotten swept up in the day to day business of life and work, friendships and projects. I've been dealing with personal drama and family problems. I'm slated to start a new job soon, but I hope to dedicate more of my time to this story because I have definitely** **not** **abandoned it. Thank you for being patient and re-joining me for the rest of this story!**

 **Disclaimer: Hiatuses suck, but now I'm back.**

* * *

~Chapter 12~

 **-Katara-**

Slowly the number of children in the main lodge began to build. Each staffer wore nametags and the kids were decorating their own name stickers. Sokka had set up some other easy crafts for them to do while the rest of the campers showed up. Zuko, Mai, and Ty were greeting them as they arrived and directing them up towards the lodge, while Iroh worked with the parents to check in the kids.

Katara was mainly keeping an eye on Toph who was flocked with other kids because of Bandit. A few times Katara had to redirect their attention back to the crafts; she didn't want to overwhelm Toph, besides, Bandit was working. Her attention was suddenly grabbed by a boy.

"Hi," he said with a toothy grin. His hair was cut so short he was nearly bald, making his brown eyes seem larger.  
"Hey…" she smiled back and read his nametag, "Aang. How's it going?"  
"Good," he replied, turning back to the table to get something, "I made mask." He proudly held it up to his face. Its grin was almost as big as the boy's behind it.  
"Nice!" she praised.  
"I made a mask too!" a girl squealed across the table. Her nametag read Meng.  
"Good job Meng," Katara smiled, but Meng's attention was already on Aang.  
"Aang," she called to get his attention, "can you pass me the glue?" With only a quick glance in Meng's direction, he handed her the glue.  
"So what else are you in charge of here?" Aang asked her.  
"Uh…" she stuttered for a moment, unprepared for his question, "I'm going to be working by the docks and stuff."  
"Cool!" he smiled, sincerely enthusiastic, "I like the water, but I like nature in general. I don't even eat meat!"  
"Wow, that's quite impressive. My brother loves meat."  
"Who said meat?" Sokka asked, looking up from a girl he was helping. Aang and Katara laughed.  
"Aang was just telling me that he's a vegetarian," she replied.  
"Oh," Sokka frowned before smiling, "More for me then!" And he went back to work.

Toph seemed to be doing fine, so Katara looked around. A quiet boy sat at the end of the table, concentrating intently on decorating his mask.  
"Do you need some help?" she asked him. He looked up and shook his head once before returning to his work.  
"He doesn't talk much," a girl with short brown hair said near Katara's elbow. "His name is Lon and I'm Bea."  
"Ah, I see," Katara replied, "Are you two friends?"  
"Yeah," Bea said still working on her craft, "He's like my best friend."  
"That's cool. It's great to have a best friend."  
"Who's your best friend?" Bea asked.  
"Uh…I don't know." Did she still have a best friend? She thought about her friends at school and such, but she didn't know if she'd call them 'best friends.' The last person she had ever labeled as her best friend was Zuko. Things with him were tense already. They were interacting as minimally as possible now. She wondered if they could ever be friends again.  
"Well that's okay," Bea said, pulling Katara from her thoughts.  
"Can I have a name sticker?" a little boy asked.  
"Sure," she smiled and handed him a sticker. "What's your name?"  
"Everyone calls me Duke and this is my friend Pippin," he nodded with his head towards a tall boy.  
"Well it's nice to meet you both," she replied.

Soon it seemed all the children had arrived and been signed in. There were 14 girls and 16 boys. The main lodge was at a dull roar of excited campers when Iroh approached the craft tables. She and Sokka had to shush the crowd a few times before they all stopped talking.  
"Welcome everyone," Iroh smiled. "As it says on my nametag, my name is Iroh and I am the camp director. Before I continue, I wanted to teach you all something. You can think of it sort of like a game." The campers listened intently, "The Unagi is a powerful fish-like spirit that protects the camp and its inhibitors. The next time you hear someone yell 'Unagi' you say 'sploosh!' and I or any other member of the staff need you to quiet down for an important announcement. Do you want to try it?" The campers nodded. "Okay…Unagi!"  
"SPLOOSH!" they yelled back in unison. Iroh laughed a deep laugh.  
"Very good," he praised. "Now I'm sure you've already met our awesome staffers, but let me introduce them real quick. We have Katara and Ty," They each stood up in turn, "Suki in the kitchen," her head popped up and she waved, "And also Mai." Mai forced a smile. Katara hadn't seen her or Zuko come in. "Then we have Sokka, Jet, and my nephew Zuko. They are here to teach you fun things and make sure you have a great time. I want each and every one of you to have fun over these next two weeks, but also to remain safe. Now, if you are all done crafting, how about a tour of the camp?"

 **-Zuko-**

He really had missed working at camp. He kept busy, interacting with campers and helping them settle in. Some of the boys were definite goofballs, but he enjoyed their lightheartedness. In part, he envied the campers. They were so young and hopeful, seemingly without a care in the world. Even Toph had a smile on her face and Bandit's tail was a blur whenever Toph let her greet someone. She was such a sweet dog.

They were all back in the main lodge after a lengthy tour of the camp and a bit of unpacking. Mai already looked bored, but that didn't surprise him. She was trying to be more open, yet it didn't seem to come naturally to her. People can only change so much. He glanced over to Katara. She was smiling and listening to a boy as he animatedly chatted on. She even laughed a genuine laugh that reached her eyes. Her eye caught his and he quickly looked away, trying to busy himself. He could feel his ears turn red. She already formed a bad opinion of him from the phone incident and now he was caught staring.

He wasn't sure how he could begin to mend things with her. Was it even possible? What little flame of hope he had left was barely flickering anymore and he only had himself to blame.

The sun moved across the sky until it settled behind the tall trees. It was campfire time.

Zuko led a cabin of campers down to the amphitheater before he joined the other staff members around the fire. Katara stood silently next to her brother. Zuko was just about to open his mouth and say something when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He knew without looking that it was Mai.  
"Who knew walking around with a pack of kids could be so exhausting," she said him quietly in his ear. He sighed and turned.  
"I like the campers," he stated plainly, "They're fun." _Unlike you_ , he thought. She shrugged, which annoyed him. It was weird. Her shrugs and boorish tone never bothered him before, but maybe he knew deep down that he could never love Mai like he once had, even if it would stop the turmoil he felt.  
"At least I'm only responsible for the blind girl." Zuko's jaw clenched. Now he wasn't annoyed; he was pissed. He couldn't make a scene and he couldn't raise his voice because he was in front of all the campers in the amphitheater, but he surely wanted to.  
"I know it must be a difficult change to think about someone besides yourself," he replied coolly, "Excuse me." He moved away from Mai to stand by Ty.  
"Hey Zuko," she smiled.  
"Hi," he managed with a weak smile, still irritated with Mai. Why did she even approach him just then? She wasn't joining the other staffers. She just moved to sit with her arms crossed near Toph.

"Good evening campers!" Sokka said dramatically like an announcer. "Are we ready for some campfire fun?" The kids cheered in reply. "I can't hear you!" The campers cheered louder. "That's more like it! I will be leading tonight's campfire, so what I say goes. If Sokka says…clap your hands." The staffers clapped their hands to encourage the campers to participate. "Perfect! Sokka says…hoot like an owl." Suddenly the darkening sky was filled with a chorus of hooting. "Now, stomp your feet." Only one person moved.  
"Aww man!" the boy cried and everyone else laughed.  
"Good job everyone. Now, I think every good campfire should have a few songs and like any worthwhile summer camp, we have our own camp song. We would like to teach it to all of you. Sound good? On my right, your left, Katara has the lyrics written out on these giant sign things, if you'd like to sing along, go for it. Ready guys?" he asked his fellow staffers. They nodded, "It goes like this:

Camp, Camp, Camp Kyoshi  
Set on the great Lake Unagi  
Camp, Camp, Camp Kyoshi  
Set back in the tall trees

At Camp, Camp, Camp Kyoshi  
There are so many things to see"

By the end of the song, all of the campers were singing along. There was a big 'hooray!' and cheering at the end. The campfire was a success. Sokka told some jokes and the staffers performed a few skits. Of course, they had to sing a few repeat-after-me songs and ones involving a lot of movement. The kids were so excited and readily joined in, laughing as they did some of the ridiculous actions.

"Now, no campfire would be complete without a story," Sokka announced. "This is the tale of the great protector of this camp, the Unagi. The Unagi is a giant eel like spirit. It has smooth dark grey-brown skin and a large dorsal fin. With its bright green eyes and sharp teeth, it used to be feared. It was said that the Unagi would eat anything that dared enter its waters." A few of the campers were huddling closer. "One day, a young boy came to swim in the lake even though he had been warned not to. The Unagi sensed the boy approaching and was prepared to attack; however, as the Unagi swam closer he could hear the boy was singing.

The Unagi lives in these waters  
And it is like no other  
It is strong, brave, and true  
It would never hurt you

In reality it is really kind  
It probably wouldn't mind  
If I sung this song  
Like I've been all along  
If I dipped in my toes  
Then up to my nose

The Unagi lives in these waters  
And it is like no other  
Yeah it'll always protect me  
The one, the great Unagi

As the Unagi listened to the words, he realized the boy was not out to harm him. For centuries, the Unagi had to guard its waters against preying humans, but perhaps little humans weren't all bad. The Unagi made a promise that day to live up to the young boy's song and protect the children that braved its waters. That young boy was named Lieu Ten," Sokka said slowly and dramatically, "He was Iroh's son." A few of the campers oohed and aahed and Zuko could see their eyes widen in the fire light.

 **-Katara-**

Soon the campfire was over and the staffers led their sleepy campers to bed. As she gathered her charges, she glanced over at Zuko. He looked tired, bone tired. She could tell in the way he moved, the effort he needed to take one step. Suddenly his head turned, as if he could feel her gaze, and their eyes locked.

She knew she should turn away, but she couldn't. She read such sadness in his eyes that it took her breath away. His tortured look made her want to, at the very least, pull him in for a hug. She wanted desperately to erase that expression from his face. The dying fire only worsened his features, casting strange shadows across his face and making it appear gaunt.

Her foot took a half step in his direction when she felt a tap on her shoulder.  
"You okay?" Suki asked her, eyebrows bunched in concern.  
"Yeah," Katara replied. Her reply was so unconvincing, even she could tell. "Really, I'm fine. Let's get these sleepyheads to bed, huh?" Suki studied Katara's face for a moment longer before nodding.

They got all the girls tucked into the two cabins. Katara didn't like that she had to interact with Mai so much in that cabin, but she forced a smile and said goodnight to them all.

She was lost in her thoughts as she wandered back to her cabin and didn't hear her name being called. Then she felt a hand grab her wrist and she stopped and turned sharply.  
"Hey," Jet smiled, squashing her fight instincts that had kicked in.  
"Hi," she replied, trying to return his smile.  
"Everything alright?"  
"Yeah, just thinking," she shrugged.  
"About me?" he asked. _No,_ she thought, but before she could say anything, he continued, "Because I've been thinking about you." Her eyes widened and she caught his gaze flicker to her lips. Was it just two nights ago that his lips had ghosted over hers?  
"Jet, I still need time…" There was so much drama still, too much tension among the staffers. Also, she just couldn't make sense of her own emotions. "I still don't know…" His lips brushed her cheek as she finished.  
"I know." He said softly, "When you know, let me know?" She nodded and he smiled. "Goodnight, Katara."  
"Goodnight, Jet."

Even though Jet was the last one to tell her goodnight, her thoughts were of Zuko as she fell asleep. She worried about him. He messed up really bad by taking Jet's phone, but was that still what was bothering him? He seemed okay earlier, but the last time she saw him he looked worn out, worn down. She wondered if she should talk to him in the morning.

* * *

She didn't talk to Zuko in the morning. In fact, they hardly talked the entire day. The campers kept her so busy she never found the time to talk to him. The campers were a lot of work, but even more fun. She loved to watch them interact. Most had only known each other for 24 hours, yet they acted as if they'd been friends for life. _If only things were still that simple_ , she thought wistfully as she scrubbed the underside of a canoe. It was hard work, but she didn't mind. She could use this time to think.

Both Zuko and Jet seemed to get along with the kids in very different ways. Over the course of the day, she had noticed that she could almost always hear Jet talking. He seemed to win the campers over with his stories and charm. Zuko on the other hand was more often quiet, yet with a smile on his face.

Zuko had always been a somewhat serious boy, but he had a kind heart and fierce loyalty. He took Jet's phone to protect her and she desperately wanted to believe his actions were sincere, but what he failed to realize was that she didn't need protecting anymore. She was practically an adult and could make her own decisions. Truthfully, she didn't know what to think of Jet. He had confidence; she'd give him that. He was nice enough. It was all too confusing, so she decided to focus on the task at hand, doubling her efforts at cleaning the canoe.

 **-Zuko-**

Zuko had to give him credit. Jet was one of the best bullshitters he had ever met. It seemed as if Jet was trying to outdo him at every turn with the campers. Jet acted as if it was a competition about who was more popular. Zuko may have been competitive with Azula growing up and was still a driven individual, but he wasn't childish. Honestly, what was the point? What did Jet think he'd really gain? Jet was a showboating ass and Zuko wouldn't bite.

He had enough on his mind without entering some kind of pissing contest with Jet. He tried to focus on his campers, making sure that they were having fun and being safe. Camp had always been a haven for Zuko and he wasn't about to have Jet ruin that. He tried not to let Jet get to him. He hoped Katara would see pass the façade and realize on her own what a prick Jet was. If not…  
"Something bothering you?" Sokka asked, interrupting Zuko's thoughts.  
"No," Zuko replied immediately, "Why?"  
"Well, you've been washing that same pot for the last 10 minutes…" Suki had the evening off, so Zuko and Sokka were on kitchen duty. "Look man," Sokka continued, "I don't want to pry-"  
"Then don't," Zuko said flatly. Sokka shrugged and went back to cleaning.  
"Are you sure?" Sokka asked just moments later, "Because you seem really wound up about something. I know when 'Tara gets like that she-"  
"Well, I'm not her," Zuko snapped and then sighed warily, "I'm sorry Sokka. I know you were just trying to help."  
"You guys are more similar than you think," Sokka said and with that, the kitchen fell silent.

Sokka and Zuko remained quiet as they finished their work. Afterwards, Zuko went to the only place where he thought he could find some peace, the dock. But someone was already there when he arrived.

 **-Katara-**

She wanted to break something or throw her phone into the damn lake. All she could do was stare at the text from Gran Gran. Apparently, there had been an accident on her father's boat and he had failed to check in. He wasn't missing… yet, but something was wrong. Gran Gran had tried to reassure Katara that he would turn up soon; he always had.

When he had left, she was so angry with him. He had sent her up to Camp Kyoshi to distract her from his absence. He, once more, chose the navy over his family. The rejection cut her deep even though she knew it was irrational. She had still never forgiven him, but now she felt guilty for every bad thought she had ever had towards him and the hurtful words she threw at him right before he left.

The words bounced around in her head, echoing as she played them over and over.  
"You lied to me because you are a coward. You can't stand to be home with us and surrounded by reminders of her so you get on your boat and sail away. Well Dad, that's a pretty shitty thing for you to do to us."  
"I know and I'm sorry Katara… I really think working at the summer camp will be good for you."  
"Why?" she spat, "So we don't have to hang around here and be constantly reminded of her and you? Whatever. It doesn't matter," she said. "Have a nice life."

She felt empty. There was nothing she could do except wait for news. Once again, she was useless. She was powerless when her mother was dying and now…

The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted her thoughts and she looked over her shoulder to see Zuko. She just stared at him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She realized she hadn't said anything, but the words wouldn't come. She opened her mouth to speak and a sob escaped instead.  
"Hey?" he said softly, rushing to her side and lowering himself to kneel beside her. "What's wrong?" She clasped her hand over her mouth and shook her head. He tentatively opened his arms and she rushed into them. "Shhh," he soothed, stroking her hair while she sobbed silently into his shirt.

He held her, rocking gently, until her heaving dissipated. She leaned out of his arms and sniffed loudly. _God,_ _I must look like an idiot_ she thought. She took a few shaky breaths before attempting to speak again.  
"Sorry," she rasped before clearing her throat. "I probably got snot and tears all over your shirt."  
"I don't care," he replied dismissively. "Shirts can be washed."  
"Yeah…" she wiped her eyes roughly with the back of her hand. "Ugh. I probably look terrible, worse than the Unagi."  
"I don't think so," he said softly, "I think you're beautiful." She knitted her eyebrows together, unsure at first what to make of his comment.  
"Are you…? Are you trying to make a move on me?" she asked, anger flaring up inside.  
"What! Of course not! I would never! I didn't mean to… offend you. You're just being irrational. Calm down." He winced after he said the last words. Everyone on Earth knows better than to tell a girl to calm down.  
"Is this some sort of game to you?" She yelled. She knew that her accusation was unfounded, but she didn't care. "Do you think swooping in and being a shoulder to cry on will cause me to suddenly fall for you? Do you think that I am that pathetic? Do you-" His stone cold face made her pause.  
"I would _never_ take advantage of you like that," he said, his jaw tight, "But I see you've chosen to believe the worst in me. I thought we knew each other better than that. Whatever happens from here on, I hope you find happiness." He stood and started to walk away.

* * *

 **a/n I hope that was a semblance of wait worthy. Did you recognize some of the campers from the original series? Do you think Zuko was really trying to lay the moves down on Katara? Lemme know your thoughts in a review. Thanks for reading (and waiting)!**


	13. Chapter 13

**a/n Thank you for the feedback! :)**

 **Over the chapters, I have gotten some readers asking about my formatting. Early on, I chose to do a single space format to make paragraph breaks more visible (and only have a line break for dialogue). However, it has come to my attention that this makes the dialogue difficult to follow. If I could indent my dialogue, like most physical publications do, I would. Since I do not want the format to take away from people's experience, I have decided to conform to the standard formatting for the site.**

 **Thank you for your continual patience with this story. I love reading your reviews for they inspire me to keep writing.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned this franchise, there would've been more seasons.**

* * *

~Chapter 13~

 **-Katara-**

"Wait!" she called after him, but he didn't stop. "Zuko!" Shit, she cursed to herself, Of all the idiotic-

"Katara!" she heard Sokka yell in the distance, breaking her inner chastising. "Katara!" Sokka burst onto the beach and was sprinting down the dock. "Katara! I just got a text from Gran Gran! Did-" Before Sokka could finish his question, he noticed the look on her face.

"Dad's missing," she said quietly.

"Yes. Well, he's not 'missing' exactly…" Sokka said trying to sound optimistic, "He just hasn't reported in yet."

"He's missing!" She yelled. It was like a nightmare; her worst fear realized. Dad's missing. Dad's missing, she chanted over and over in her head. She wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come.

She was hardly aware of Sokka taking her gently by the elbow and leading her up the path to the main lodge. There was a soft light on somewhere and Iroh sat at a table with a kettle and two teacups. Sokka led her over and Iroh gestured for her to sit. Sokka murmured something about checking in on his campers, before leaving.

"Did you know that lemon balm belongs to the mint family?" Iroh asked as he poured the second cup and placed it in front of her. "It has many versatile purposes, good for everything from digestive problems to pain. It is well known to provide calming effects. Some people drink its tea for sleep problems, high blood pressure, hysteria, melancholia, or ADHD. Of course, personally, I just like the taste. What do you think?" She took a tentative sip.

"It's nice," she replied softly, continuing to stare blankly at the golden tea.

"I think its name is very fitting," he went on, "It has a faint lemony aroma and it can soothe a person in many ways." He paused, as if unsure how to proceed. "Your brother tells me you both received some news concerning your father… I know, in a way, what you are going through. It is always hard to feel so powerless when it comes to those we love."

"Why should we love him? He left us, again," she said, looking up at Iroh.

"That's the thing about love, we can't always choose who we love and why. The man is your father. He loves you, raised you, so of course you love him. Now, that doesn't mean that he's perfect. He still makes mistakes. He will still make decisions that you might not agree with or support, but either way, you still love him."

"But that's not always true of fathers. Just because you're related, doesn't mean you have to love them." Katara argued. "Take Zuko's dad for example." She regretted saying those last five words instantly. Iroh's face fell and he suddenly looked much older, wearier, in the dim light. "I'm sorry Iroh." Iroh nodded slowly and took a long drag of tea.

"No, I suppose you are right Miss Katara. My brother was never much of the loving sort. There were some good years, but way too many bad ones. He drank things stronger than tea and became a danger to himself and others. He could have had a good life. He had a wonderful wife and two great kids, if only that could've been enough for him… But unlike Ozai, your father has not forsaken you. He has not run out of your lives purposefully or forever. There is honor in serving."

"He did run away though. He's running away from reminders of our mom."

"He doesn't know how to process the loss still. He will have to adjust to being a civilian and single dad at the same time. That would be overwhelming for anyone, so he returned to a familiar, highly structured, and orderly life. Give him time."

"You don't know a thing about my family! Why are you defending him?!" she asked, raising her voice, and feeling the warm comfort of the tea melt away.

"Because I was him," Iroh said sharply. "I've been there Katara," he said more gently, "I know." For the second time that evening, she felt foolish.

 **-Zuko-**

It hurt to hear that she thought so little of him, but if that's how she wanted things to be… he would just let her be. He always thought that she was an amazingly insightful and caring person, but could he have been wrong? Maybe she wasn't the person he thought she was. He'd secretly believed that he would never be good enough for her, but could it be the other way around? Was she good enough for him? These thoughts and questions plagued him as he prepared for the campfire that night.

He didn't really talk to anyone for the rest of the evening. Only after the campfire, as everyone began filing out of the amphitheater, did Ty approach.

"Hey, Zuko," she said at his elbow.

"Hi," he replied gruffly. She fidgeted next to him. "You okay?"

"Me? Yeah. It's just…" she dried her hands on her shorts nervously, "Have you heard about Sokka and Katara's dad?" she asked, after looking around. His eyebrows knit in confusion.

"No…"

"Oh, uhm, he's missing," she said the last word quietly.

"Missing?!" Zuko repeated in surprise. Ty shushed him quickly.

"I don't know who all knows. I overheard Sokka telling Suki." He tried to process what Ty had just told him. Perhaps that was why Katara was so upset down by the docks? Obviously, he felt bad, but why didn't she tell him? Why did she have to say all that garbage about him taking advantage of her? His pride still stung and besides, she clearly didn't want his comfort or his company.

Sleep did not come easily. Bad dreams made it impossible to get any decent sleep.

She stood with her back to him, unmoving.

"Katara?" he asked hesitantly, reaching out to tap her on the shoulder. She was cold and hard like a sculpture. "Katara!" he called out in alarm. He moved to stand in front of her and could see the pale blue sheen of ice that had taken over her body. Even her eyes, once piercingly blue, were dulled and glassy. What happened to her? He tried to touch her face, but suddenly found himself 10 yards away. The distance between them had been stretched apart. Now it wasn't Zuko facing her inches away, but Jet.

Zuko tried to run back towards them, but he couldn't move. His feet were frozen in place. 'Don't touch her!' he tried to yell, except his voice wouldn't work. He felt the numbness spread throughout his body, slowly closing in around his heart. Unable to do anything else, he was forced to watch Jet reach out and tap Katara on the nose with his index finger. No sooner had Jet drawn his hand away did the ice version of Katara start to tremble before bursting into a thousand pieces.

Inside his head, Zuko screamed, horrified by what he'd just seen. Slowly, Jet turned to smirk at him before calmly walking over.

"Goodnight Zuko," he said wryly and reached out to tap his frozen form.

Zuko woke with a lurch, his neck tingling with sweat. Fuck. He dragged his hand over his face, trying to erase the memory of the dream. Maybe it was time he resumed old habits…

After what happened with his father, he had to be the pillar of stability for his family. For a while, they needed him to be strong and stoic. His mom never asked him to take on such personal responsibility, but after everything she'd been through, he felt like he owed it to her. It had taken him a while to re-adjust to a normal life and to let himself enjoy simple pleasures. Maybe that's why his mom never liked Mai. With Mai, everything else seemed boring and unimportant. But at least with Mai, other parts of life didn't feel so bad. Maybe if he could remember how to be indifferent to the world, his heart wouldn't hurt so much. He just had to stop caring. How hard could it be?

Eventually, he must've fallen back to sleep because he woke up suddenly to the traditional trumpet sounds being blasted throughout the camp. He was alone in his cabin, the other members probably rousing their campers. He fell back with a plop. He had slept poorly that night and wasn't quite feeling up to being surrounded by 30 kids and his fellow staffers. However, he swung his legs over the bed and dressed dutifully. It was like he was on autopilot mode.

"You look awful." Mai stated when he got to the main lodge.

"Gee, thanks," he replied as he scooped some oatmeal into his bowl.

"Does it have anything to do with why Katara is taking part of the day off?"

"Huh?"

"Your uncle made an announcement before he let us start eating," she explained dryly, "said something about a personal matter, but nothing more." When he didn't respond, Mai continued, "Of course, it puts me on the spot because now I have to watch her kids on top of dealing with Toph." He wanted to criticize Mai for her attitude, but he couldn't seem to find the energy.

He tried to listen while Duke rattled off a story about putting fake spiders in his sister's bed and laugh along with Pippin and Sokka; however, Zuko was relieved when Uncle announced it was time for the day's first activity. Today he was teaching the kids how to build a shelter in case they were lost and had to spend the night in the woods.

"It's important to create a boundary between yourself and the ground," he explained, "Otherwise the earth can sap your body heat. At the same time, you don't want to be suspended off the ground because the air can get underneath you and make you cold that way." He went on in a routinized manner, answering questions as they arose while demonstrating how to lash three branches together. Soon the session was over and it was time to move on.

The day passed quickly. He tried to focus on each task one at a time, leaving little room to worry about Katara. He tried not to think about her. Just like he tried not to notice that she never showed up for lunch or dinner. Tomorrow the camp was hiking up the mountain to rock climb and sleep under the stars, he had a lot to prepare and think about, but there was somehow still room in his head to think about her.

 **-Katara-**

She was alone in complete darkness. Her arms waived around blindly in front of her as she tried to navigate the environment.

"Katara!" a voice shouted, making her jump, "Katara, please!" the voice cried.

"Dad?" she asked, fear flooding her system, "Where are you?" She turned her head, searching frantically for him.

"Katara!" he called, his voice fainter.

"Where are you?" she repeated, as she stumbled forward, "I can't see. Don't go!"

"Katara," her dad's voice was now only a whisper, "It's okay."

"No! Wait!" She started to run towards the last source of his voice, losing her faltering on unknown objects. She wasn't sure how far she'd gone before she was suddenly on the ground, having tumbled over something heavy. She reached out to find what had tripped her and recoiled with a scream when she felt somebody's leg.

"Shhh," the owner of the leg said softly.

"Dad?" she squeaked.

"Shhh," he soothed, "It's all right 'Tara." She found his hand and gripped it tightly.

In a flash, his rough hand turned into sand and she found herself in a blinding desert.

"DAD!" she screamed over and over, patting the ground where he had just been, but there was nothing but sand as far as her eye could see. She suddenly became aware just how dry her mouth was and how her throat was sore from yelling. All she could do was start walking in one direction in the hopes of finding water.

As she trudged onward, her head began to pound and her vision started to waver. She could have sworn she saw a friendly mushroom in the distance, but kept walking the other direction. She looked back over her shoulder now and then to make sure her tracks kept pointing in the same direction. The wind started to blow sand into her eyes and she began to lose her footing. Every time she stumbled, she found it harder and harder to get back up. Her limbs felt heavy and she couldn't remember why she was bothered trying to walk out of the desert. What could be worth continuing her slow death?

The next time she fell onto the burning sand, she couldn't find the strength to continue.

I'll just take a little break she thought as she closed her eyes. As she laid there, the sand beneath her started moving around her, like she was sinking into it. It was hot and heavy. She tried to fight the vacuum, but every time she started to move her limbs fell deeper into the sand. It felt as though her limbs were engulfed in flames. She tried to open her mouth to scream, but got a mouthful of sand instead. It was consuming her.

She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. As the light from the sun faded from view, a single tear managed to overflow.

Katara woke up in a cold sweat. Her mouth was parched and her heart was racing. At first, she was disoriented, before quickly remembering where she was. Her nightmares hadn't been this bad in months. Needing some fresh air, she crept out of her cabin. It was very early in the morning, the sun only hinting at the horizon. The air was cool enough that she could see her breath as she walked down to the lake.

A light mist had gathered over the waters and the sky was a beautiful display of colors. She usually wasn't up this early to see it. Her mother used to say that she rose with the moon. At the thought of her mom, tears formed in her eyes. She missed her. She needed her. Now more than ever it seemed.

She sat on the dock, clutching her knees close to her chest, and sobbed. If mom had been here, maybe her dad wouldn't have reenlisted. If her mom was here, she'd know what to say. If her mom was still here, maybe their family wouldn't be so broken. But her mom wasn't here. Katara had shed so many tears over her mom initially, but then she had to be strong. Someone had to help Gran Gran run the house and keep Sokka in line. She hated to think it, but in a way, she resented both parents for leaving. The admittance, even to herself, made her stomach churn. What was wrong with her? Her mother was dead and her father was missing. Now was not the time to begrudge them.

In an effort to rein in her emotions, she tried to concentrate solely on her breathing. Slow breath in. Hold. Slow breath out. The grievance counselor she had been forced to see taught her that breathing technique. Previously, her method was to hold her breath until the pain from the lack of oxygen replaced the ache in her heart. It was "not healthy" apparently.

She brushed off those unpleasantries and got to her feet. Today was going to be a long day since they were hiking up the mountain and she knew that crying never helped anyone. She needed coffee.

There were already lights on in the main lodge. As she reached for the handle, she peered in and noticed two people sitting at a table inside. It was Mai and Zuko. She was about to leave, when Mai leaned over and kissed Zuko. Katara quickly turned away, her cheeks burning and an unknown emotion flaring inside her.

Zuko wasn't hers. He could kiss whomever he wanted to kiss. Why should it bother her? She was **not** jealous.

* * *

 **a/n Did you catch a few not-so-cleverly disguised references to the original show? What did you think overall?**  
 **Thank you for reading! This chapter was difficult for me to write for multiple reasons.**


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